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YEAR BOOK
OF THE
HEATHER
SOCIETY

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2014

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THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Affiliated Societies:
Nederlandse Heidevereniging ‘Ericultura’
Gesellschaft der Heidefreunde
Pacific Northwest Heather Society
President:

Mr. C. D. BRICKELL, V.M.H.

Vice-Presidents:

Dr. V. GRAY Mrs. D. METHENY
Mrs. C. I. MacLEOD Mr. D. McCLINTOCK
Chairman:
Maj.-Gen. P. G. TURPIN, C.B.,O.B.E.
Secretary:
Mrs. P. B. LEE
Treasurer:
Mr. D. B. OLIVER
Council:
Mr. A. H. BOWERMAN Mr. H. L. NICHOLSON, M.B.E.
Mrs. M. BOWERMAN Mr. D. J. SMALL
Mrs. M. BOXALL Mr. A. J. STOW
Mr. F. N. CULLEY Mr. H. STREET
Mr. A. W. JONES Mr. G. P. VICKERS
Mr. T. A. JULIAN Mr. E. H. WISEMAN
Slide Librarian:

Mr. D. J. SMALL

The Poplars, All Saints Road, Creeting St.Mary, Ipswich, Suffolk

IP6 8PJ
Editors:

Year Book: Mr. A. W. JONES, Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset

BA22 7QF

Bulletin: Mrs. D. H. JONES, Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset

BA22 7QF

Administrator:
Mr. K. H. FARRAH
7 Rossley Close, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 4RR

CONTENTS
Volume 2 No. 10

QUEEN MARGARET S COLLEGE, EDINBURGH, 1980 -

NAOLV BONUS by cies ghee tiga Lee oa On eee Ne ee aa a a ar
GROWING HEATHERS AT THE SUSSEX COAST - John. W. Gillespie
THOUGHTS ON AN AGEING HEATHER GARDEN - Dr. Violet Gray
CONIFERS WITH HEAQTHER= Harald’ Street. (00 © ieee ee
HEATHER GARDENS No.7: THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL

SOCIETY'S GARDENS, WISLEY - May. Gen. P.G.Turpin........
BOOK REVIEW -A Guide To The Naming of Plants- Dr. E.C. Nelson ....
THE GALL MIDGE, Wachtliella ericina - Mrs. D. Maginess.........
EHE BHEATHERIBEEWD LES Dr VM. G. Morris. . >. 0.0) ee eee eee
HEA™‘HERS AND THEIR MYCORRHIZAS - Dr. D.J. Read
ERICA ARBOREA ‘ALPINA’ - Maj. - Gen P. G. Turpin ..........
THE BELL HEATHER IN MADEIRA - David McClintock..........
RIDDLES OF THE IRISH HEATHS - AN IRISH TOUR -

May. E.W.M. Magor.

BLACK POEYPHENE MULGHES Ss Asian so) 4) eee

OBSERVATIONS OF LIME SENSITIVITY IN YOUNG PLANTS OF

SOME ERICA, CALLUNA AND DABOECIA CULTIVARS -
DDS GIUGTS 2 ees cae Ne Oe ee Ee Ty ene EE a

THE: SEIDES LIBRARY. 2 So ois Ree SO ie a
NEW ACOUISITIONS 29. Platt 60 68 o.oo I a eee
PERSONAL AND PLACE NAMES USED FORHARDY HEATHERS:

SECOND SUPPLEMENT - David McClintock.......:..2...4.
“AU REVOIR” IN ‘“‘DOWN UNDER?” - Mrs. Anne Parris ...........
REGEND WRITING ON -HEATHERS. 1980,
NURSERYMEN MEMBERS: 2 Char 2h 0 22 )c cn oer eae aa

YEAR BOOK 1981

Editorial

Heather enthusiasts face a special dichotomy. The
Heather Society has long deplored the irresponsible
naming of cultivars and yet it goes on apace - I now know
of nine yellow foliage clones of Erica carnea, and
venture to doubt if they are all sufficiently distinct to
warrant cultivar names. However, few of us couid
practice the extreme asceticism preached recently by
Roy Hay in The Times, where he wrote that twelve
cultivars of flowering cherry and Rhododendron provide
“ample choice’. The Technical Committee of the
Society has held protracted discussions on a preferred
list of cultivars, and at last the debate seems to be
drawing to its conclusion, but the resulting list is over five
times as long as Mr. Hay’s in those other two genera.

I suspect many of us agree with an entry in
Tradescant’s Diary in The Garden for October 1980
which deplores the reduction in the number of cultivars
of all genera offered by most nurseries and garden
centres. Few would wish to see the older heather
cultivars disappear. The Society is active on this front
too and the establishment of the National Reference
Collections at Wisley and Harlow Car will ensure that
worthwhile cultivars will be preserved.

The response to my appeal in the Summer Bulletin
for material was most gratifying and as aresult some new
names appear among the familiar ones on the contents
page. I thank everyone who has contributed to this Year
Book, but I would still ask you to note and act upon the
Chairman’s remarks which appear elsewhere in it.

With so many good articles it seems invidious to
single out one author for special mention but I feel I must
do so. Mrs. Parris has often contributed to these pages.
Those of us who have met her at various Annual
Conferences have been charmed by her enthusiasm and
her impish sense of humour - she it was who suggested
laundering bees prior to using them in hybridisation

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

experiments. I am sure she will excuse me if I say that in
years, if not in spirit, she has passed the first flush of
youth and yet she is setting off to start a new heather
garden in Australia. In this issue she writes her own
valediction. All our good wishes go with her. We shall
miss her.

From the Chairman.
Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin, CB.,,O.BE.,
West Clandon, Surrey.

In a Society like ours, in which the members are so
widely dispersed - thousands of miles apart in the case of
our overseas members - it is inevitable that we should
have some difficulties in communication. We can only fit
in one week-end Conference each year, but by arranging
the venue in different parts of the country we try to keep
in touch with as many members as possible. All our
members receive the Year Book and the Bulletin. These
publications provide an opportunity for an exchange of
ideas and a pooling of experience. If we are to get the best
value from them, it is important that their contents should
reflect as wide a cross-section of the membership as
possible. We would like many more of our members to
send in their contributions, so that we can all share each
others experiences. The shortest of notes can be of
value.

The vitality of the Society depends, to a great
extent, on the activities of the Group Organisations.
Only a limited number of members can come to the
Annual Conferences or the Shows in London, at which
the R.H.S. Heather Competitions are held, when the
Heather Society stages its own display. But it is not
difficult for local Groups to organise an interesting
programme of visits and meetings within the reach of all
members belonging to a particular group. A successful
programme depends largely on the enthusiasm of the

YEAR BOOK 1981

organisers. Some of our Groups are very active and
provide their members with an interesting programme
throughout the year. Others, regrettably, are less active
or even dormant. We would like to see flourishing,
Groups throughout the whole range of our membership.
So, I appeal to those members who feel that they can
Spare a little time and energy on organising meetings in
their area to come forward and let the Hon.Secretary
have their names and addresses. After all, the well-being
and ultimately the future of any Society depends on the
interest and enthusiasm shown by its members.

Queen Margaret’s College,

Edinburgh, 1980 -
Molly Boxall, Kingswocd, Surrey

Blown in from all quarters by a gale, we were
warmly welcomed by the Scottish zone and Mrs. Puck
Duvall to a delightful residence which was to be our
home for the weekend.

Quickly resuscitated by a super supper, we wer
Shown slides of scenery and mountain flowers of
Scotland by Mr. Aitken of Orchardbank Nursery, Perth-
such exquisite photography - quite breathtaking - flowers
that many of us hardly knew existed, let alone had seen!
He is certainly “photographer extraordinare’’.

Sunshine greeted us next morning - ail tales of our
journey exhausted, we gathered for our usual hilarious
photograph of the Heather Belles and Beaux! Then onto
the serious business of the AGM, through which our
Chairman, Maj.-Gen. Pat Turpin, guided us with his
usual skill. We were then introduced to the Gardens of
the National Trust for Scotland, with a beautifully
illustrated tatk by Mr. Robson, who is the Garden
Adviser.

After lunch we travelled by coach to Tyninghame
Gardens - the magnificent home of Lord Haddington,
who personaliy conducted us round his estate. In its

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

heyday it must have been a dream, but now only two
gardeners are left to cope, and still it is a joy. Rain
unfortunately rather marred our visit. The evening was
made most enjoyable by an Open Forum and many
tricky questions were expertly sorted out by our
Chairman and Bob Brien, Bert Jones and David Small -
quite a team !

Sunday started with more rain, but in spite of it we
rushed to admire, and purchase some of a splendid
collection of heathers, dwarf conifers and gentians etc.
which Mr. and Mrs. Sturrock had so thoughtfully
brought with them - we were like bees round a honey-pot.
Also Bob Brien again kindly produced some of his plants
from St. Kilda. Then to the Lecture Theatre where Mr.
Evans, Assistant Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden,
enchanted us with a splendid and instructive illustrated
talk on Ericaceae, followed by Mr. McBeath, who is in
charge of heathers at the Garden, showing us lovely
slides of his treasures. What a lot we learned from these
two specialists. Sunday lunch was as delectable as any
home lunch, watched over by three chefs and their team
of charming waitresses. |

No time for resting ! Off we went to the Royal
Botanic Garden to be met by Mr. Evans and Mr.
McBeath who personally escorted us and introduced us
to much of the wonderful collection of trees and plants. It
is indeed a superb garden - 70 acres, 70 gardeners -
surely one of the finest to be found and not to be missed
when visiting Edinburgh. We returned to the College for
the closing speech by our tireless Chairman, who
thanked the Scottish Zone and everyone who had
contributed to an excellent Conference. For most of us it
was an early night before we travelled home with
renewed enthusiasm to try to in:prove our own heather
gardens.

YEAR BOOK 1981

Growing Heathers at the Sussex Coast
John W. Gillespie, Sutton, Surrey

The steep slope of the lawn, at the lowest side of
which there was a three foot drop over a brick retaining
wall, caused some apprehension each time the lawn was
cut.

In 1974 it was decided that, if the turf was removed
and a bed of heather planted, the possibility of a nasty
accident would be reduced, and some additional colour
given to the garden. The turf at the northeast corner was
lifted, leaving a right- angled triangular area with the base
about 19 feet long nearest the top of the brick wall. The
result of this turf removal was to confirm that at some
earlier period in history the sloping garden had been part
of a sandbank at the side of a river which had
subsequently been diverted. However in the absence of
any previous experience of such a situation it was
believed that, if peat was incorporated into the sand, a
suitable heather growing mixture would result.

No accurate records of quantities were kept at that
time, but a liberal amount of peat was applied when the
ground was dug over, and, because it was believed to be
required, sulphate of ammonia was also added. In the
winter of 1974/75 the ground remained fallow and any
weeds that appeared were destroyed. On 21st March
after the recommended spacing for each individual

- heather had been plotted on graph paper, a dozen plants

each of Erica carnea ‘Springwood Pink’, E. x
darleyensis ‘Darley Dale’ and ‘Silberschmelze’ and E.
vagans ‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’ were put in.
In the following month it was thought just possible that
the whole operation had been a waste of time, money and
physical effort, so a full confession of what had been
done was sent to Wisley along with a soil sample. In their
reply our good friends said the pH reaction was 5.5 and
they suggested the application of 30z. of Growmore per
square yard and a further mulch of peat when the weather
became milder. These suggestions were meticulously
followed during the second week in May.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

In July of that year some plants appeared to be less
healthy than they should have been so they were lifted.
soaked in water and, after untangling their roots, were
replanted (ref. Frank P. Knight - Wisley Handbook -
Heaths and Heathers). By September some plants were
so obviously ailing that it was decided to replace five of
the E. carnea ‘Springwood Pink’, five of the E. x d.
‘Darley Dale’, four of the EF. x d. ‘Silberschmelze’ and
nine of the E. vagans ‘Mrs. D. F. Maxwell’ with new
plants of the same cultivars.

Does any gardening enthusiast require to be
reminded of the drought of 1976 or cannot imagine the
havoc caused to the beautiful heather bed ? The water
level under the sand dropped, the sand compacted and
the copious supply of hosed water ran over the surface
taking with it any loose peat that lay in its way. The roots
of several heathers were laid bare and the sun and wind
completed their early deaths.

Any attempt to carry out the original carefully
planned lay-out of a heather bed just had to be
abandonded and an alternative method of solving the
problem of how to grow heathers had to be found. The
lowest side of the bed was about nine feet higher than the
nearest point where a barrowload of stones could be
wheeled, and the load then manhandled up two flights of
stone steps. Senile decay and discretion ruled that idea
out. Peat blocks were also considered, but further adding
to the already quite considerable expenses incurred
seemed unwise at this experimental stage.

Finally it was decided to provide each plant with its
own little patch, and treat it as if it was growing in a pot.
Strips of metal available for edging lawns and about five
inches wide were cut into pieces 15 ins long. These were
pushed into the ground about halfway round each
heather at its lower side and some peat was used to give
the plant a level area around it. When the rain fell or
some hosing was done, channels appeared where water

YEAR BOOK 198]

was missing the catchment areas. These diversions were
not included in the experimental plan, so further strips
were pushed in to direct the water to where it was
required.

Now in 1980 those plants which have survived the
initial problems have become established and flourished.
The edging strips have greatly helped, and such has been
the growth of the plants that all the strips are completely
obscured. Some day all the setbacks may have been
forgotten, and taking courage in both hands, the edging
Strips will be removed with no disastrous results.

Thoughts on an Ageing Heather

Garden
Dr. Violet Gray, Hindhead, Surrey.

There cannot be many members of our illustrious
Society who possess over an acre of heather garden more
than 25 years old. So I thought it might be of some
interest to recent members to be forewarned of what the
future holds in store for them if they and their plants
survive that long.

My husband and I started this garden in 1950 from
scratch (literally as far as the gorse was concerned). The
area was wild heathland with a lot of bracken, pines and
birches, and a little heather.

For the first five years my husband was very busy
taking cuttings from specimen plants we brought from
our previous heather garden. As he normally had 100%
success with cuttings the area planted grew rapidly so the
great majority of my plants are more than 20 years old.

Many experts say that heathers must be replaced
every 10 to 12 years but most of mine are still blooming
freely. They have been clipped every year (except the
carneas) so they have not been allowed to get leggy.
However in time some of them become too wow’; to clip

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

and must be replaced. It is always a sad decision to make,
when the time has come, to dig up large areas of old
heather which is still making a brave effort to flower on
old stems. It seems somehow disloyal to old faithful
friends that have outgrown their usefulness, but it has to
be faced. On the bright side, there are now bare patches
which can be planted with some new and exciting
varieties.

The year of the drought certainly precipitated the
demise of some old plants, although others withstood it
remarkably well, having very extensive root runs. At the
other extreme of climate, heavy snow breaks down tall
heathers especially tree heathers, which although they
may recover, are sometimes left in an ugly shape. Tree
heathers have a splendid power of recovery from frost
whicn splits the bark, and from snow damage, but some
are left much disfigured and must be replaced.

In other parts of the garden healthy exuberant
patches of heather spread themselves across my paths,
sometimes extending more than 12 inches from the
nearest roots. When the paths thereby cease to function
as such, a great plague of healthy heather has to be cut
away, another painful surgical procedure. This is, of
course, lovely propagating material for anyone with the
time or energy to spare, for it will afford literally
hundreds of cuttings and it is sad to see them wasted.

There is also encroachment of another kind from the
natural vegetation of the area. Common heather seeds
itself freely but can easily be weeded out when in bloom.
If not, being more sturdy than many of the cultivars, it
can smother them. Bilberry is another enemy to the
heather garden. It is a natural ground cover and has to be
forcibly restrained from growing up into the patches of
heather. During the drought I had to stop pulling out the
bilberry suckers to avoid disturbing the heather roots, but
one years reprieve gave them all the impetus they
needed to get beyond control. The autumn gorse must
also be kept in check. I think it enhances the beauty of the
heather garden, giving vellow patches among the pinks

YEAR BOOK 1981

and purples, but it would soon take over most of the
ground if not controlled. Last, but by no means least, are
the pine trees. They seed themselves prolifically and
grow fast. The young seedlings are easy enough to weed
out, but I like to keep some to improve the contour of the
garden. However before you are aware of it they have
grown large enough to spoil the vista instead of
enhancing it and are giving too muchshade. Most experts
agree that most heathers, except the golden foliage
varieties, will tolerate a little shade, but not that of forest
trees. So there comes a time when trees have to be felled,
which is always a traumatic event.

I think I have dwelt long enough on the problems of
my garden. A mature, or even a post-mature heather
garden has a charm of its own. There are large patches of
differing shades of pink, white and mauve coalescing and
running into each other. It is a pretty sight to see heathers
climbing over each other and up brooms or small pine
trees. Erica vagans and Daboecias especially can be
seen blooming 18 to 24 inches from the ground.

The more vigorous varieties tend to smother their
weaker brethren in time, and unless you are watchful you
may lose a less vigorous grower, but mainly they
intermingle very happily.

Although my garden does not produce any fine
individual specimens (except for the newly planted
patches) and I admit that I sometimes envy the
magnificent heathers that my fellow members produce
for the R.H.S. Show, there is great charm in the general
patchwork. It is more akin to heather growing naturally
in the wild than are heather gardens more recently
planted.

I shall try to retain enough patches of old friends to
keep the character of my garden unaltered.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Conifers With Heather
Harold Street, Chipping Campden,
Gloucestershire.

A friend of ours walking round the garden in July
was admiring the pale golden foliage of a
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ and thought
how well it looked surrounded by bronze-red Erica
carnea ‘Ann Sparkes’. I was glad to hear this because in
early spring the brilliance of the conifers new foliage
seemed much too dominant and I had wondered whether
to move it. Of course that would have been foolish
because it soon tones down a little without losing its
charm. He also noticed that “Ann Sparkes’ leads into a
drift of F.c. ‘Aurea’ and he liked the way this group
related to a two metre specimen of Thuja occidentalis
‘Aurea Nana’ then in its full glory of gold and green. The
golden carneas wind on between Erigenas and Erica
hybrids, embrace a single plant of EF. vagans °*Valerie
Proudley’ (whose yellow foliage we find more at home
here than with her closer relatives), and come to an end
alongside the warm gold of a Thuja occidentalis
‘Rheingold’ as yet only a metre high.

The same bed includes other varieties of Erica
carnea as well as several plants of E. terminalis
(species) and E.t “Thelma Woolner which do so well on
our alkaline soil. Among these are a number of conifers
of varying size, shape and colour.

This note has been prompted because the
necessarily brief report in the 1980 Year Book of the talk
I gave on Design for Heather at the Weymouth
Conference has given some readers the impression that I
decried the use of conifers with heather. Very far from it.
What I deplored was the misuse of conifers, which in my
view is not uncommon, and the assumption in some
publications that conifers should be included in every
heather bed. Specific recommendations are usually

YcAR BOOK 1981

admirable, but in practice from time to time one finds ill-
chosen specimens looking very much out of place. This is
a pity because we all know how effective the combination
can be.

Conifers offer such a great variety of colour, texture,
shape and size that care in their choice is well repaid. The
dwarf kinds are usually delightful - but beware: many a
purchaser has been assured that his plant will not exceed
a certain height and then found, a few years too late, that
it never seems to stop growing ! The thing to do,
obviously, is to buy only from a trustworthy source. Even
sO one can have surprises. A Juniperus communis
‘Compressa’ we had from Joseph Sparkes more than ten
years ago has now doubled its height to 35 cm. We
bought another one eighteen months ago from a well
known nursery. It was already almost the size of the first
one. No doubt significantly the foliage was somewhat
less fine but this summer it has grown half as big again
while the first one has hardly budged. We are leaving the
label on for the time being !

Before buying the bigger kinds one should find out
what the “ultimate height’ is likely to be. Too often this is
overlooked, and in due time reluctance to remove a fully
grown tree leaves a garden out of balance. Early pruning
can help to control growth of course and the experts
advise little and often for the best results. They also say
that increases in size can be checked indefinitely by
lifting and replanting every two or three years. But if you
do this remember not to let them dry out at the roots.

Besides associating well together, conifers and
heather share the virtues that they are well behaved,
reasonably trouble free and labour saving. In these hard
times that must be good !

“Red-hot in summer, freezing in winter, is that big,

purple heather country of broken stone’’.
Rudyard Kipling, Puck of Pook’s Aull.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Heather Gardens No. 7
The Royal Horticultural Society’s
Gardens, Wisley.

May.-Gen. P. G. Turpin,
West Clandon, Surrey.

The Heather Garden in the Royal Horticultural
Society's Garden at Wisley should, by rights, have come
earlier in this series, because it was one of the first places
where such a garden was created as a special feature.
There had been a great vogue for growing Cape Heaths in
glass-houses and conservatories both in this Country and
on the Conunent at the beginning of the 19th century,
following the expeditions of Francis Masson, sponsored
by George ITI, to South Africa in search of new species.
Over 300 varieties were listed by nurserymen in London.
Erica carnea was popularised by the firm of Backhouse
early in this century for its great value as a winter-
flowering plant. But the other hardy heathers were not
widely grown until the mid-twenties, when Maxwell and
Beale started collecting new varieties for sale from their
Dorset Nursery.

This was the time, just after the first World War.
when the seven-acre plot at Wisley, bordered by the
river Wey, was being developed and it was decided to
make a heather garden, which would give colour all the
year round.

Seven Acres, as the area is still named, consists, like
most of Wisley, of very light sandy soil, which dries out
rapidly, but does not retain any warmth. In cold weather
temperatures at Wisley are at least 5°F lower than they
are on less sandy soils only 5 miles away. In order to
grow heathers satisfactorily ‘arge quantities of humus are
regularly dug in and generous mulches of leaf-mould and
pulverised bark applied to the surface of the beds. In dry
weather frequent watering is necessary to prevent the
roots from drying out. Fortunately Wisley has its own
source of water in the river Wey.

YEAR BOOK 1981

You can approach the Heather Garden from the
Wild Garden, over the lawns from the Walled Garden
past the Round Pond, or from the Restaurant past the
Lake. Whichever way you choose you will pass many
specimen trees, Acer griseum, the tulip tree
(Liriodendron tulipifera), the variegated Turkey oak
(Quercus cerris *Variegata’) and the graceful willow-
leaved pear (Pyrus salicifolia). In the autumn the colour
effects of the area are enhanced by the flaming foliage of
Liquidambar styraciflua, Nyssa sylvatica and the oaks.
On a small island in the Lake there is a tall specimen of
Metasequoia glyptostroboides which is beautifully
reflected in the water with the great leaves of Gunnera
and the red-stemmed Cornus.

The Heather Garden itself is on a completely flat
piece of ground and great care has been taken to avoid
too monotonous an appearance by the use of irregular-
shaped beds with winding paths and by varying the height
of the plantings, in order to provide a vertical dimension.
By this means the important element of surprise has been
achieved in a comparatively small area. Scots pines,
silver birches and rowans, all natural companions of
heather, have been used to good effect. The five Scots
pines date from the earliest days and were planted in
1922:

In each of the five island beds the heathers are set
out in generous groups of fifty or more, in order to display
fully the character of each cultivar. Among them are
planted pernettya and other acid-loving shrubs and a
selection of conifers, which give depth to the overall
colour effect with their various shades of grey and green.

All the commonly grown hardy species are
represented, including E. scoparia and its dwarf cultivar
E. scoparia *Minima’. There are a number of venerable
Tree Heaths which give substance to the plantings and
provide backgrounds for the lower-growing species.
Chief among them is E. arborea ‘Alpina’ with its rich
green foliage all the year round and its clusters of tiny
white flowers from April to the beginning of June. This is

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

the hardiest of the Tree Heaths and is never affected by
cold weather at Wisley. &. australis, in both its pink and
white forms, and FE. /usitanica and the golden variety
‘George Hunt’ add their contribution in the spring; and
there is an unusual clone of &. x. verttchii, which is
hardier than ‘Exeter and grows to a height of over ten
feet. The plants of “Exeter which had survived the cold
winter of 1962/63 could not withstand the conditions of
1978/79, when icy winds with little snow cover followed
a deceptively mild early winter.

Close to the isiand beds, along one side of the lake,
there is a fine collection of low-growing and prostrate
conifers inter-planted with winter-flowering heathers,
mostly FE. carnea ‘King George’ and ‘Springwood
White, with some. patches of Bruckenthalia
spicultfolia, the Balkan Heath. An unusual combination
is ‘Springwood White’ growing right through a specimen
of the prostrate T’suga canadensis,“Minuta’. Between
this collection and the lake is a memorial seat, simply
inscribed “‘For Heather’.

A heath garden of this sort needs regular replanting
to get the best effect from the heathers. Although some
species can be left for many years without much sign of
deterioration, a phased replacement programme is
necessary if the heathers are to be shown at their best.
Such a programme makes it possible to introduce the
most promising of the new cultivars as they come along,
and Wisley is often the first place where the public can
see them and judge their performance. Plants submitted
to the R.H.S. Floral Committee *B’ for an award are
often recommended for trial at Wisley before the
Committee makes its decision. E. mackaiana *Dr.
Ronald Gray’, E. lusitanica ‘George Hunt’, E. carnea
‘Altadena’ and Calluna vulgaris ‘Kinlochruel and*My
Dream’ were all sent to Wisley for trial.

Among new cultivars which have recently been
planted are the double Cal/una “Mrs. E. Wilson’, which
is very Similar to*Tib’, and the single white ‘Snowflake’,
which has a habit reminiscent of “Alba Rigida’ - both
from the United States.

YEAR BOOK 1981

Seven Acres is not the only part of Wisley where
heathers are grown. Some of the carneas and darleyensis
hybrids help to provide winter and early spring colour in
the Rock Garden and E. lusitanica revels in the
conditions there, seeding itself in the most unlikely nooks
and crannies. E. terminalis may be seen growing among
rhododendrons on Battleston Hill and FE. erigena ‘Irish
Dusk’ in the special garden devoted to winter-flowering
plants close to the trials grounds in Portsmouth Field.

There is a fine clump of E. arborea‘ Alpina’, which
must be over 40 years old, in the middle of Howard’s
Field, where the Heather Reference Collection will soon
be taking shape. Here members will be able to see and
compare authentic plants of as many of the named
cultivars as can be collected.

It is fortunate that so many of the Directors and
Staff of the R.H.S. Gardens have been (and are) heather
enthusiasts and we can count on our President and the
recently appointed Curator, Mr. John Main, to see that
the Heather Garden continues to live up to the high
reputation which it has for so long enjoyed.

The Gardens at Wislev are only 20 miles from
London on the A3 (Portsmouth Road) between Cobham
and Ripley and are open throughout the year (except
Christmas Day).

“The grounde is baren for the moste part of wood
and corne, as forest grounde ful of lynge, mores and

mosses with stony hilles”’
Leland

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Book Review
McClintock, David

A Guide To The Naming Of Plants
Second Edition, Leicester, The Heather Society
37pp, index.

£2.50 including postage

To many people the names of plants are baffling. To
have a concise, readable and easily understood book on
the “‘problem’’ is therefore desirable, and this completely
revised edition of David McClintock’s A guide to the
naming of plants meets all these requirements.

The author starts by defining the various categories
used in plant classification - species, subspecies, section,
form, among others. He does not confine himself to
explaining strictly botanical categories, but also includes
terms like cultivar (which should be used by all of us in
place of “variety” when we mean a garden plant), clone,
mutant and hybrid. There are short paragraphs on
chromosomes, genes, types and even teratalogical forms.
Mr. McClintock explains simply how a plant name is
composed, what regulates these Latin names, and enters
the “proverbial minefield” of correct names, capital
letters for specific epithets and such like. In fact, this little
booklet answers all the questions you ever wanted to ask
about plant names but were afraid to. It is in his simple
explanation of plant nomenclature, and the results of
applying the rules of nomenclature, that the great value
of A guide... lies for the amateur.

In part II, there is a useful and interesting
commentary on the names of hardy heathers. Names
with uncomplicated histories like Bruckenthalia
spiculifolia (for which David invented an English
name), those with quite tortuous histories like Evica
erigena and E. x stuaritii, and the ones that no-one can
agree about like Erica carnea and E. herbacea, are
gently explained.

In part III, the Heather Society s recommendations
on cultivar names are laid out, starting with hybrids, and

YEAR BOOK 1981

giving the recommended form of the names. The booklet
of 37 pages concludes with a select bibliography which is
up-to-date, and a very comprehensive index covering 6
pages and including perhaps 450 items.

Despite the existence of the International Code of
Botanical Nomenclature, which lays down the Rules for
naming plants, botanists still dispute, and many of their
arguments relate to interpretation of these rules. As well
as Rules, the Code contains ** Recommendations” which
are not binding. So there remains the possibility of
disagreement about the correct name for a plant.

In this respect, there are some aspects of
McClintock’s booklet which may strike a discordant
note, or seem contradictory. For example, the author
persists with his argument (which cannot be denied) that
not to use a capital letter for the specific epithet
commemorating a person “shows disrespect” - in the
case, say of Erica mackaiana, one would hope that
James Townsend Mackay was pleased that he was
commemorated (quite unjustifiably) by that name. Is it
not enough to be perpetually on the lips of members of the
Heather Society ? Yet we read that the recommendation
of the Heather Society is that we should use E. carnea
‘King George’, not E. carnea ‘King George V’ - to some
this may be more disrespectful ! However, this is
regulated by another set of rules, the International Code
of Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants.

Plant names, their uniformity and universality, are
fundamental to botany and we must all strive to use the
one correct name for each separate species. As the
author remarks in his preface, the ““Rules are our
friends’ and uniformity is in everybody s interest. This is
not a reflection of a modern fashion for bland sameness,
but a question of the ease of exchange of information
world-wide. As McClintock points out, personal
preferences should take second place, and this booklet
should prevent people “‘pleading ignorance”’ as far as
heathers are concerned. Alas too inany people do ignore
correct names or plead ignorance of them - some

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

nurserymen are prime offenders. This brings me to
another apparent contradiction which is found in
paragraph 27. There the plan for “horticultural
equivalents” is explained (these were mentioned in the
first edition but do not seem to have been published),
which surely is at odds with the author's introductory
remarks, and which he might have commented on. *

Changes in piant names can be confusing and may
at times seem ridiculous, but we should follow the rules.
The International Codes surely should be abided by
without taking the “‘ostrich-like’’ way out and proposing
‘horticultural equivalents’. That is not to say that when
taxonomists cannot agree, as in the case of EF. carnea - v-
E. herbacea, some attempt at a rational compromise
should not be made, but please, let botanists and
horticulturalists agree on the same name. To allow
exceptions to rules invites the same sort of ““organised”’
chaos which makes the International Code such a
cumbersome and impenetrable document. Hortt-
culturalists and nurserymen really have no excuse for
refusing to adopt the right name; we would all benefit if
they did. But enough of sermonising !

We all owe David McClintock our gratitude for this
new edition of the Heather Society’s “Best Seller’. It is
compulsory reading for horticultural students in several
well-known botanic gardens, and should be obligatory
for all members of the Heather Society. The book is
clearly set out, well printed and attractively presented. Is
such a thin booklet worth £2.50 - a five-fold increase on
the price of the first edition of 1969 ? The answer is a
resounding YES ! Any member of the society who did
not buy the first edition, and all those who did, should
spend these relatively few pennies on the new edition. I
hope it will stay in print, at least until the Rules have
changed so much (hopefully for the better) that a rewrite
is required, or until the day dawns when the problem of
Erica carnea/herbacea has been settled and we cease to
argue about such a trivial matter. Dr. E. C. Nelson.

* In his introduction David McClintock points out that paragraph 27
was written by John Gilmour, who was then Director of the Cambridge
Botanic Garden. Ed.

YEAR BOOK 1981

The Gall Midge Wachtliella ericina

Mrs. D. Maginess, Broadstone, Dorset

In the 1966 Year Book there is an article by K. M.
Harris, then Entomologist at Wisley,on the gall midge,
Wachtliella ericina, a photograph of which is in the
centre of the book. This midge lays its eggs in June on the
tip of, usually, Erica carnea branchlets, one per tip. A
white papery cocoon covers the egg and finally the
terminal leaves close tightly around the cocoon forming a
tiny knob, which in fact is the gall. The larva, which
is bright orange, pupates the following May, when the
cycle starts again.

Members of the Heather Society were asked to send
any information about this midge gall to the
Entomologist. As I had observed this “‘growth”’ on my
carneas I wrote to Wisley. In reply to questions from Mr.
Harris, I was able to report that the gall had been noted
for some years, though nothing spectacular, on E. carnea
“Aurea’, “Cecilia M. Beale’, “King George’, ‘Rubra’,
‘Ruby Glow, ‘Springwood White’ and ‘Vivellii’.
‘Springwood White’ was the most infested, the flowers in
full bloom with galls at the ends of the stems. These
observations coincided with those made at Wisley on
carneas there, with the exception of “Cecilia M. Beale’.

Another point made was that plants of E.c.
‘Springwood White’, ‘Springwood Pink’ and ‘Cecilia M.
Beale’ - apparently with no galls - had been moved from
an open position to a more shaded one, when galls
seemed to appear. Evidently Wisley had had the same
experience. However, there was no proof that the midge
favoured shade rather than sun.

A patch of ‘Ruby Glow some six feet by two feet
was badly infested; this was cut hard back, and the
material burnt. The plants improved; there was no
reappearance of the galls in subsequent years.

Galls appeared on two plants of Erica vagans* Mrs.
D. F. Maxwell growing in semi-shade, so were sent to

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Wisley for inspection. It was pretty certain however that
these were not caused by the same insect.

The natural habitat of Erica carnea is on the
European Alps, so that they are well used to snow and
cold conditions. The droughts of 1975 and 1976 took a
heavy toll here; since then I have not seen any midge
galls. Maybe when the midge emerged in June there were
no new growths on which to lay its eggs, or, if the eggs
were laid, the host plant died and was duly burnt before
any eggs had a chance to hatch.

A local nurseryman told me that galls had been
present in his nursery in about 1956, but by picking off all
the affected stems, the trouble soon disappeared.
Reports from other Dorset nurserymen reveal that one
had been troubled by the midge on his “Springwood
White’ in the 1960s, and another said that at that time
galls were prevalent throughout the country.

To combat the pest, insecticide sprays used in the
late summer or early autumn, may prove useful. I found
that severe cutting back of affected plants was the
simplest and best way to deal with the problem, and of
course to burn the waste material.

[_ David McClintock tells me that, for the first time, he has had his

E. carnea attacked by gall midges. Two plants of “Spring Cottage
Crimson’ had practically every shoot galled, just three shoots of
‘Heathwood’ near by, and no other plant attacked at all, of any species.
One wonders if the soft growth which was prevalent in some parts of the
country in May of last year, has favoured this pest.
David has, or has seen, galled specimens of E. arborea, E. australis, E.
cinera, E. manipuliflora and E. scoparia. He would welcome further
examples. The list of species which are known to be attacked by gall
midges is further extended by reliable references in the literature to
galls on E. ciliaris, E. erigena, E. multiflora and E. umbellata.

Ed._]

YEAR BOOK 1981

The Heather Beetle

Dr. M. G. Morris, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology,
Director of the Furzebrook Research Station,
Wareham, Dorset.

The gardener, more than most people, is very much
aware of the depredations of insects. Crops are
continually under attack and at times it seems that only
continuous warfare against insect pests will ensure any
success. However, in the countryside it is only seldom
that the attacks of insects on plants are evident. Our
landscape remains green in spring and summer, despite
the presence of innumerable plant-eating insects with
only the occasional species causing visible and extensive
defoliation. Among these, most people will have seen
from time to time Winter Moth caterpillars stripping the
leaves from oaks and other trees, the caterpillars of Small
Ermine Moths replacing the foliage of Spindle or Bird
Cherry with unsightly silk webbing, and perhaps the
occasional outbreaks of Antler Moth caterpillars and the
depredations of the yellow and black “Football Shirt”
caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth on Ragwort.

To heather enthusiasts and those who know the
moors and heaths of Britain, there is another insect
species which produces widespread and obvious
evidence of its defoliating ab’lities from time to time - the
notorious Heather Beetle.

The Heather Beetle is known to science as
Lochmaea suturalis the common form of the beetle
having a dark line (suture) running down the back. It
belongs to the family (Chrysomelidae) whose members
feed almost entirely on plants. The adult beetle is about 5
mm long, rather dark and not very striking in colour. Its
shape is usually described as ‘‘oblong’’, meaning that it is
not obviously tapered either behind or in front. It is
clearly a beetle, with the hind wings modified to form
wing covers (or elytra) which protect the true functional
wings. These wing covers vary in colour from a rather
dirtyish yellow to completely black. There are three

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

divisions to the body, as in all insects. The head is
broader than long and bears two long flexible feelers or
antennae, which under the microscope can be seen to
consist of eleven elongated joints: the two compound
eyes are conspicuous. Behind the head, which is dark
brown or black, the thorax is also broader than long and
brown or black. Under the microscope it can be seen to
be pitted and, in parts, depressed. The wing covers
obscure the soft abdomen and are the most conspicuous
feature of the adult beetle. The six legs of the beetle have
“feet” (tarsi) consisting of a rather broad segment
followed by a narrower one with a bilobed final joint
which bears a pair of small claws.

Like many species, Heather Beetles overwinter in
the adult state. They can usually be found by turning
back heather at the sides of paths on heaths and
moorland, and on mild winter days they may be found
moving about, as there is no true hibernation. Activity
becomes more general with the onset of warm weather in
spring. Heather Beetles walk rather than run and, as in all
cold blooded animals, activity depends on temperature.
The beetles fly readily in hot weather, probably more
frequently in autumn than in spring. Egg laying starts
sporadically, but begins in earnest at the end of May or
the beginning of June in Scotland; in southern England
egg laying probably starts up to a month earlier than this.

When laid the egg is pale yellow and less than a
millimetre in diameter, although usually round, or
sometimes slightly oval, eggs are often misshapen. They
are seldom laid directly on to living heather plants but are
usually placed in mosses or plant litter; they seem to
require a moist environment for development. This takes
at least three weeks, depending on temperature, and the
egg gradually darkens during this time as the little grub
matures within the shell.

As in all insects, growth of the Heather Beetle larva
appears to be irregular because the skin is shed at
intervals. After hatching from the egg the young grub
starts to feed on Ling (Calluna vulgaris and its

YEAR BOOK 1981

cultivars); it does not appear that other Ericaceae are to
any exient used as food plants. The first stage larva is
black or dark brown, with a black shining head, three
pairs of legs in front and an anal sucker on the last
segment. The second and third stage larvae do not differ
markedly in structure but are, of course, larger, and also
paler in colour. The grubs are conspicuous as they feed in
exposed positions on heathers and are probably
distasteful to birds and reptiles which would otherwise
feed on them. They are found mainly from the beginning
of June until the end of August.

When fully fed the last stage larvae descend to the
plant litter, moss or superficial layer of soil to pupate.
Unlike the chrysalis of a moth or butterfly, the pupa of a
beetle clearly shows the shape of the perfect insect. The
pupa of the Heather Beetle, which may be found in a
rudimentary pupal cell, is soft and vulnerable when first
found but gradually hardens, though the adult beetle is
still soft and callow when it emerges from the pupa. It
feeds voraciously on heather, as it did when a grub. In
order to overwinter it must build up its body reserves by
laying down an effective “‘fat body’. If it overwinters
successfully it may, in due course, mate and reproduce.

Outbreaks of Heather Beetle have been recorded
since 1853, before the species was formally described to
science. The characteristic “scorching”, or in extreme
cases, complete defoliation over large areas, has been
reported at intervals in both Britain and North-West
Europe generally, particularly Germany and the
Netherlands. In Britain bad attacks have been noted,
particularly in the north, e.g. in Scotland, but the 1979

outbreak was very noticeable in Hampshire and Dorset.
Perhaps attention has been focused on upland areas of
the north because of the importance of heather on grouse
moors. The effect of Heather Beetles on the grouse
“industry” is probably its most serious claim to pest
status, but the interests of bee-keepers have also been
affected through loss of the important nectar of heather
flowers.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

The Heather Beetle would be merely one of nearly
4000 British species of beetles of interest only to
specialists if it were not for its food plant and its wild
fluctuations in abundance, which lead to visible and
obvious damage to heaths and moors in some years. We
know very little about the reasons for the occasional
outbreak years and are not likely to have an answer
unless good intensive research is done on the problem.
The life history of the Heather Beetle has been studied in
some detail but assessment of the numbers of each stage
and identification of the agencies which normally reduce
or control numbers are needed before we can be
reasonably certain of the causes of fluctuations in
population size. itowever, some speculation is possible.
The fact that some outbreaks, at least, have occurred
simultaneously throughout North-West Europe (as in
1979, for instance) points to some interaction between
favourable weather for the beetle and its reproductive
potential. Most insects, because they lay so many eggs,
can theoretically increase in numbers at a remarkable
rate, but few do so for any length of time. Those that do,
such as locusts, or to a lesser extent, Heather Beetle, are
notorious pests. Other factors in the outbreaks of
Heather Beetle are likely to be its dependence on one,
abundant, food plant, its relative freedom from natural
enemies, dispersal by flight, and its known, or suspected,
dependence on moist conditions in at least the egg stage.

Dependence on one such dominant plant as heather
means, on the one hand, that normally there is a
superabundance of food and, on the other, that when
numbers of beetles are very high, defoliation occurs
because there are no alternative hosts. The natural
enemies of the Heather Beetle are few. As has been
mentioned, the larvae (and perhaps the adults) are
unlikely to be taken in large numbers by vertebrate
predators. A parasitic fly is known to attack the adult
beetles, but this parasite appears to be local and
uncommon compared with its host. It is also a general
parasite of several related beetle species and not specific

YEAR BOOK 198i

to the Heather Beetle. A parasitic wasp attacks the grubs
and is often locally abundant. There is one common
predator of Heather Beetle larvae - the ladybird
Coccinella hieroglyptica. This is not one of the two
common ladybirds of gardens, but a species more or less
specific to heaths and moors. Both adults and the active
larvae prey on Heather Beetle grubs, but both the
ladybird and its prey have only one generation a year,
and for this reason the ladybird cannot increase its
numbers fast enough to deal with an outbreak of Heather
Beetle. On the whole it appears unlikely that ‘natural’
(sometimes called “‘biological’) control of Heather
Beetle, even if the agents of control can be manipulated,
has much prospect of success.

Dispersal of insect pests is an important factor in
their spread to new localities. This may be of relatively
little importance in the case of the Heather Beetle, which
occurs on areas of moorland or heath which are either
maintained continuously as such, or actually being
reduced. In annual crops, immigration of pests, and their
dispersal from centres of infestation, is an important
feature of attack. 1978 and 1979 were characterised by
migration of adults in spring, but the importance of
dispersal of the Heather Beetle, compared to on-site
increase, is not known.

The interaction of the management of heathlands
and heather moors with outbreaks of Heather Beetle has
been partially examined, but the evidence is not entirely
clear. In Scotland the older heather appears to be more
often attacked than the young heather regrowing after
‘“‘muirburn’’. In Dorset in 1979, however, young heather
appeared to have suffered more than older stands from
Heather Beetle damage. Burning is generally considered
to be ineffective against the beetle because it has to be
done in spring, when the adults can escape by flight
Accidental fires in summer may well reduce populations
of the less active larvae, but management of heathland by
summer burning is not permitted. Work during the 1930s
in Scotland pointed to drainage of moorland as being the

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

most effective method to control numbers of Heather
Beetle. But for obvious reasons this is not an appropriate
method on the dry heaths of southern England.

The heather nurserymen, or enthusiast with an area
of heather garden near a source of infestation, may well
find that chemical control is the only answer to the
occasional ravages of Heather Beetle. Like so many
other problems, the answer as to why there are irregular
periodic outbreaks of the beetle must await further
ecological research.

Heathers and Their Mycorrhizas
Dr. D. J. Read, Department of Botany,
University of Sheffield.

Introduction

While great variability in floral structure and
pigmentation is a feature of the major ericaceous genera
Erica, Calluna and Rhododendron, an _ equally
outstanding, though visually less dramatic attribute of
these plants is the characteristic structural uniformity of
their root systems. The fine terminal “hair roots” consist
of a narrow central core of conducting elements
surrounded by only one or two rows of inflated cortical!
cells. These cortical cells are of great bioiogical interest
since, in the region just behind the growing root apex,
they are normally completely filled by the mycelium of a
fungus which invades them from the soil (Plate Ia, b, c).
So extensive is the invasion that there may be 40,000
fungal entry points per centimetre of root length in this
region and upto 80% of the root volume is occupied by
the fungus (1). These structures, perhaps more than any
others in the plant kingdom, are thus most aptly
described as fungus roots or mycorrhizas. While most of
our native tree species have a mycorrhizal association
involving a largely external or sheathing proliferation of
fungal mycelium, and many non-ericaceous shrubs and
most herbs have an internal or endo-mycorrhizal
infection, the pattern of development of the fungus in

YEAR BOOK 1981

tissues of ericaceous plants is quite distinct. The
relationship between this so-called “‘ericoid’’ type of
infection and that seen in other major plant groups is
summarised in Table 1.

The ecological situations in which ericoid
mycorrhizal roots predorninate are, like the roots
themselves, remarkably uniform. With few exceptions
the plants are restricted to soils of low pH, low levels of
available nutrients and high organic content. This
parallelism of structure and habitat suggests that the
mycorrhizal association has evolved as an adaptation to
impoverished soil environments and that the success of
ericaceous plants in nutrient stressed circumstances may
be at least in part attributable to their mycorz*‘za!
relations. Recent research has begun to elucidate some of
the functional relationships between the host plant, the
associated fungus and the soil environment of ericaceous
mycorrhizas.

Historical Aspects

Much controversy surrounded the early studies of
the occurrence and significance of mycorrhiza in the
Ericaceae; Ternetz (2) believed that seedlings of
Calluna could not be grown in the absence of fungal
infection, and in a series of reports Rayner(3, 4, 5) stated
that while surface sterilised seed of Calluna and
Vaccinium might germinate normally, later develop-
ment of the shoot and root was inhibited in the absence of
the fungus. She believed that infection of the root
extended into the shoot system and that it eventually
reached the seed coat so that, at germination, the
emerging radicle was immediately infected by the
requisite fungus. This pattern of fungal distribution has
been called systemic infection.

Many workers both at the time of Rayner, and more
recently have produced results which strongly contradict
the thesis that systemic infection is either normal or
necessary for seedling development. It has heen
repeatedly shown that normal development of

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

ericaceous seedlings can be achieved in completely
sterile conditions (6, 7, 8), and there appears to be not a
single authenticated report of the isolation of the
mycorrhizal fungus from any part of an ericaceous plant
other than the mycorrhizal root itself.

Despite Rayner’s assertion that systemic infection
was a normal feature of ericaceous plants she provided
no confirmatory evidence in the form of back-inoculation
to synthesise mycorrhizas. Doak (9) was the first to
combine the isolation of an endophyte from the roots
with back-inoculation to synthesise mycorrhizas. Later,
Friesleben (10, 11) showed that fungi isolated from
Vaccinium would form mycorrhizas. not only with their
original hosts, but with a wide range of other ericaceous
plants including Ca/luna and Erica. The endophyte thus
appeared to show little host-specificity. This feature has
since been confirmed by Pearson and Read (12), who
showed that the mycorrhizal fungus isolated from any
species with ericoid mycorrhizas will readily form
mycorrhizas with other ericoid hosts.

Identity of the Mycorrhizal Fungus

Both Ternetz and Rayner believed that the
mycorrhizal fungus cf ericoid plants was a member of the
genus Phoma. Ternetz (loc. cit.) isolated this fungus
from the roots of several ericaceous plants and called it
Phoma radicis. Rayner (3) found only common soil
fungi in the roots of Ca/lluna and proceeded to obtain
most of her isolates from the shoots and seeds which she
believed also to contain the mycorrhizal fungus. From
these she obtained a pycnidium-bearing fungus which
was again referred to the genus Phoma and called P.
radicis. None of the Phoma isolates were ever shown to
produce typical ericoid mycorrhizas. This fact, coupled
with the knowledge that Phoma is a common colonist of
moribund tissue in a wide range of plant species, strongly
indicates that it is not the mycorrhizal fungus of ericoid
mycorrhizas.

YEAR BOOK 1981

The only procedure which will demonstrate
unequivocally that a fungus is truly mycorrhizal is to
isolate it as it emerges from the infected cell, and then to
inoculate the isolate into aseptically grown seedlings to
ensure that it produces a normal mycorrhizai
association. Stages in the use of these isolation and re-
inoculation procedures are shown in Plate II a tod. Most
workers who have systematically isolated endophytes
from roots and then re-infected seedlings have reported
that the fungus is sterile and described their isolates in
terms of different culture characteristics. Thus, for
example, Friesleben identified strain differences while
Bain (13) and Burgeff (14) described colour and growth
form differences which distinguished their isolates.
Despite these differences a number of features of all
these isolates are held in common, and it may be more
advantageous to stress the similarities rather than the
small differences between isolates. The most important
common teature of course is the capacity to form

mycorrhizas. Further than this, however, even in
cultures common features are found. Thus the isolates
are normally slow-growing on nutrient agar, and have a
colour in the range grey, grey-brown to vinaceous fawn.
The growing edge of the culture is characteristically
white when viewed from the under side of the petri dish.

An important negative feature is that pycnidia are not
formed by any such isolates. It has now been shown(15)
that typical ericoid endophytes of the type described
above can be stimulated to form fruit bodies under some
circumstances. They are small orange structures, which
are up to 1 mm in diameter and are initially cup shaped
but become flattened discs at maturity. Analysis of the
structure of these fruit bodies shows the fungus to be an
ascomycete and it has been named Pezizella ericae
Read. Ultrastructural studies of mycorrhizai roots of
Calluna and Vaccinium have confirmed that the
endophyte is ascomycete (16, 17).

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Effects of Mycorrhizal infection on growth

The protracted arguments over the nature and
development of ericoid mycorrhizal infection served to
distract attention from the more important question of
the role of mycorrhizal infection in the growth and
nutrition of the host plant. Several early studies revealed
that seedling development was inhibited on peat which
had been sterilised by autoclaving. The experiments of
Frieslaben (/oc. cit.) led him to the conclusion that the
major effects of the mycorrhizal fungus was to detoxify
the peat. However, this attribute was not exclusively
shown by mycorrhizal fungus, since a range of
saprophytic fungi had the capacity to alleviate the
toxicity. Similar results were obtained by Bain (Joc. cit.)
and Burgeff (/oc. cit.). Thus, until recently, mycorrhizal
infection has been considered to be of little significance
to the plant except perhaps in the establishment phase. It
has been suggested that during the major part of the
plant’s life the fungus is present as a weakly parasitic
associate. It is clear that the relatively massive fungal
presence in the ericoid mycorrhizal root must constitute
a Significant drain on the plant’s reserves of sugars. It
seems unlikely, however, that the host could sustain this
drain and its great competitive vigour in the nutrient
stressed heathland habitat if the flow of nutrients was
purely unidirectional. The hypothesis that the
characteristic association between host and endophyte is
a mutualistic one involving two-way flow of nutrients,
and that the partners have co-evolved in a manner which
permits satisfactory exploitation of a marginal habitat,
seems more reasonable. Our experiments were therefore
designed to test this hypothesis.

Experiment in Soil

In order to evaluate the role of mycorrhiza! infection
in plants it is necessary to compare their growth and

YEAR BOOK 1981

mineral nutrition in the mycorrhizal (M) and in the non-

mycorrhizal (NM) condition. It is important also, that

comparisons be made in circumstances resembling as

closely as possible those of the natural environment of
the test plant. Since all natural heathland soils contain

the ericaceous endophyte, some sterilisation treatment is

required so that control plants can be grown in the NM

condition. In view of the failure of control plants to grow

normally on autoclaved soil, a superior sterilisation

treatment has been sought. The most suitable soil

sterilisation procedure found to date is ¥ irradiation.Soils
sterilised by this method are non-toxic and complete

removal of the endophyte can be obtained with relatively

small doses of radiation (0.8 M rads). Systematic

analysis of the response of Vaccinium and Callucea

plants to inoculation with the mycorrhizal endophyte in

small volumes of irradiated soil have demonstrated that

mycorrhizal plants produce greater yields and have

significantly higher nitrogen and phosphorus contents

than non-mycorrhizal controls (18).

Having obtained these results we were particularly
interested to learn whether the enhanced nitrogen
contents of the mycorrhizal plants arose simply as a
result of an improved capacity to capture simple N
containing minerals like ammonia from the soil or
whether the fungus could absorb, assimilate and transfer
nitrogen sources which were too complex to be utilised
by plants lacking the endophyte. Experiments using
heathland soil which had been labelled with the stable
isotope '5N suggested strongly that mycorrhizal
infection was providing access to organic sources of
nitrogen which are unavailable to non-mycorrhizal
plants (19). Since organically complexed nitrogen
sources represent by far the greatest reserve of N in
heathland soils, this observation was of great interest.
Further elucidation of the nature of the nitrogen
compounds utilised by mycorrhizal plants grown in peat
or mor-humus is difficult because of the chemical
complexity of the media. For this reason our most recent

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

experiments have concentrated on an analysis of growth
and nutrition of M and NM ericaceous plants in sand to
which individual organic or mineral constituents can be
added.

Experiments in Sand

In the experiments we have normally used
Vaccinium macrocarpon (Cranberry) as our test plants,
because of its relatively rapid growth rate. However, in
smaller parallel experiments it has been repeatedly
shown that Calluna responds in a comparable manner to
mycorrhizal infection.

We first compared the growth of M and NM
ericaceous plants in sand containing standard nutrient
solutions in which N was supplied as ammonia in
logarithmically increasing quantities (20). Under these
circumstances M plants showed superior growth and
nitrogen uptake at intermediate levels of N supply. Thus
while no growth stimulus is found in M plants at 1, 20 or
50 mgN/1, significant growth enhancement is found at
2.7 and 7.5 mg/1. The failure to find a growth response at
1 mg/1 is interesting. It probably indicates that the
benefits derived from infection at such low levels of N do
not counter-balance the drain on plant assimilates by the
infecting fungus. At the highest levels of ammonia
application the supply of N to the roots of NM plants was
obviously sufficient to sustain optimal growth. It is
important to realise, however, that such luxury levels of
N are rarely experienced by plants growing in the field,
where levels of free ammonia are more normally in the
range in which a mycorrhizal enhancement of growth
was observed. Experiments were also designed to
compare the capacity of M and NM plants to utilise NH4
and a range of simple organic N sources in the form of
amino acids (21). These were supplied at equivalent
concentrations in acid washed sand, which was
maintained in the sterile condition. The results (Table 2)
indicate that whereas M plants can use most of the

YEAR BOOK 1981

organic N sources as readily as the mineral source, the
NM plants have a very limited capacity to use these
substances. A further interesting point is that the
capacity to assimilate organic N is specifically a feature
of mycorrhizal infection since plants grown in sand
inoculated with some commonly occurring soil
saprophytic (SAP), like those in the NM category,
showed no comparable utilisation. The probable
ecological significance of these results is discussed later.

Some observations on the function of Ericoid
Mycorrhiza in the Heaths of Southern Africa

Despite the fact that the genus Erica reaches its
greatest level of species diversity in Southern Africa, the
conservatism of form shown by the ericoid root system is
retained. Examination of root systems of Cape Erica
species during the wet winter months reveal that the
mycorrhizal associations are structurally identical to
those of European representatives of the genus and that
the isolated mycorrhizal fungus has similar cultural
characteristics. The climate of the Cape region is
characterised by a marked seasonality, mild wet winters
being followed by hot dry summers. One of the puzzling
aspects of the biology of many Cape Heath species is that
maximum growth, as well as flowering and seed set,
coincides with the dry period of the year. Observations of
ericoid root systems during this period show that, in
contrast to the winter conditions, they have a moribund
appearance, the cortical cells being either collapsed or,
at best, devoid of contents. It seems possible, therefore,
that materials are transferred from root to shoot during
the dry periods in order to sustain growth. There is some
experimental evidence to support such a hypothesis. As
part of an experiment on nutrition of Cape Heaths, plants
of Erica bauera were grown from seed in the mycorrhizal
and non-mycorrhizal conditions in a soil with supra-

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

optimal nitrogen concentrations (22). The plants were
then transferred to sand in which they were grown for a
further four weeks during which time they were supplied
with a mineral nutrient solution from which nitrogen was
excluded. Shoots of both M and NM plants were
harvested at weekly intervals through the four weeks and
their N contents were determined.

During this period the nitrogen contents of the NM
plants declined progressively while that of the M plants
was sustained (Fig. 1). Microscopic analysis of the root
systems of harvested M plants revealed that during the
four weeks of growth in the absence of nitrogen the level
of infection decreased markedly, presumably as a result
of breakdown of the fungal material. We believe that
nitrogen contents of the shoots of M plants was sustained
by transfer of nitrogen stored in the fungal coils of the
root cortical cells. The results thus indicate that in
addition to provision of enhanced uptake and increased
access to recalcitrant forms of N, the mycorrhizal fungus
may act as a Store of seasonally released nutrients which
can later be used to sustain growth during unfavourable
climatic conditions.

Experiments on Resistance to Heavy Metal
Toxicity

Apart from the positive attributes of mycorrhizal
infection, it is possible that the presence of fungal
complexes in the absorptive portions of the root systems
of ericaceous plants might provide a mechanism for the
selective exclusion of potentially toxic substances.

Sand culture experiments have revealed that plants
with ericoid mycorrhiza have greatly increased tolerance
of heavy metals (23). M and NM plants were grown in
dilute mineral nutrient solution to which was added
either zinc as zinc sulphate at concentrations of 25, 50,
100 or 150 mg/l or copper as copper sulphate at
concentrations of 10, 25, 50 or 75 mg/1. Both of these
elements have a markedly inhibitory effect on plant

YEAR BOOK 1981

growth in the NM condition, root growth being
particularly affected. Growth of M plants is relatively
unaffected and only at the highest metal concentrations
is major growth reduction seen. Though the metal
concentrations employed in these experiments were
higher than those whicn would normally be encountered
in field situations, it is a fact that metal ions like zinc and
aluminium become particularly mobile under acid
conditions and hence the tolerance of heavy metals
provided by mycorrhizal infection could be an important
factor in the successful exploitation of acid soils by
ericaceous plants.

Discussion

The results so far obtained suggest that mycorrhizal
infection of ericaceous plants facilitates enhanced
nutrient uptake under circumstances in which nutrient
availability is low . The enhanced uptake arises as a
result of two separate factors. The first of these is the
improved exploitation of soil provided by the fungal
hyphae ramifying from mycorrhizal roots. The second
involves the exploitation of nutrients, in particular
organic sources, which would otherwise be unavailable
to the plant. In addition, the mycorrhizal infection
probably fulfils a storage function which enables the
shoot to receive a constant supply of nutrient elements
and thus to be to some extent buffered from seasonally
induced fluctuations of mineral nutrient availability
found in soils.

The presence of ericaceous species as dominant
components of nutrient poor heaths of both northern and
southern hemispheres and the remarkable constancy of
their root structures and of their fungal associates
suggests that a common factor, probably that of
restricted nutrient supply has been a major selective
pressure leading to the development of their specialised
absorptive systems. Other plants in the same habitat in

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

both hemispheres have adapted to the same pressures by
_ different methods. One of the most interesting examples
is the insectivorous genus Drosera, which is widely
found occupying an understorey position below
ericaceous Canopies in both hemispheres. Insectivory
has long been recognised as a special adaptation to
enhance nitrogen supply. It is interesting to consider that
in place of the insect, the ericaceous plant in the same
habitat has selected a fungus as its supplementary source
of nitrogen. Such a relationship may be more costly to
the plant in terms of carbon supply to the symbion, but
the investment is repaid handsomely by a partner which,
unlike the insect, is constantly present in time of need.

References |

1. Read, D. J. and Stribley, D. P., Some mycological aspects of the
biology of ericaceous mycorrhizas. In: Endomycorrhizas.
Sanders, F. E. T., Mosse, B. and Tinker, B. (Eds.),
Academic Press, London, 1975.

2. Ternetz, C., Uber die Assimilation des atmospharischen
Stickstoffes durch Pilze. Jahrb. wiss. Bot., 1907, Vol. 44,
pp 353-408

3. Rayner, M. C., Obligate symbiosis in Calluna vulgaris. Ann.
Bot. (London), 1915, Vol. 29, pp 97-133

4. Rayner, M. C., The nutrition of mycorrhiza plants: Calluna
vulgaris. Brit. J. Exp. Biol., 1925, Vol.2, pp.265 - 291
5), Rayner, M. C., Biology of fungus infection in the genus
Vaccinium. Ann. Bot. (London), 1929, Vol.43, pp.55 -

70
6. Knudson, L., Nonsymbiotic development of seedling of
Calluna vulgaris. New Phytol. 1933. Vol. 32, pp 127-155
7. Friesleben, R., Weitere Untersuchangen uber die Mykotrophie
der Ericaceen. Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. 1936, Vol. 82, pp 413-

459
8. Molliard, M., Sur la biologie du Calluna vulgaris L.
Signifi-etinn des mycorrhizes chez les Ericacees. Ann. Sci.

Nar Pet, 1937, Vol. 19, pp 401-8

9. Doak, K. D., The mycorrhizal fungus of Vaccinium.
Phytopathology, 1928, Vol. i8. pp 148-155

10. Friesleben, R., Uber experimentelle Mykorrhiza - Bildung bei
den Ericaceen. Ber deutsch bot Ges., 1933, Vol. 51, pp
351-356

11. Friesleben, R, Zur Frage der Mykotrophie der Gattung
Vaccinium L., Jahrb. wiss.. Bot, 1934, Vol. 80, pp 421-
456

YEAR BOOK 1981

Los

20.

7A) 'e

Pips.

Pearson, V. and Read, D. J., The Biology of Mycorrhiza in the
Ericaceae. 1. The isolation of the endophyte and the
synthesis of mycorrhizas in aseptic culture., New Phytol,
1973, Vol. 72, pp 371-380

Bain, H. F., Production of synthetic mycorrhiza in the cultivated
cranberry. J. Agric. Res., 1937., Vol. 55, pp 311-357
Burgeff, H., Mikrobiologie des Hochmoores. Gustav Fischer
Verlag, Stuttgart

Read, D. J.. Pezizella ericae sp. nov., the perfect state of a
typical mycorrhizal endophyte of Ericaceae. Trans. Brit.
Mycol. Soc., 1974, Vol. 63, pp 381-383

Bonfante-Fasola, P. and Gjianinazzi-Pearson, V., Ultra-
structural aspects of endomycorrhiza in the Ericaceae. L.
Naturally infected hair roots of Calluna vulgaris L. Hull
New Phytol, 1979, Vol. 83, pp 739-744

Duddridge, J.. A comparative ultrastructural analysis of a range
of mycorrhizal association. PhD thesis, University of
Sheffield, 1980

Stribley, D. P. and Read, D. J., Effect of mycorrhizal infection
on nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition of ericaceous plants.
Nature, 1973, Vol. 244, pp 81-81

Stribley, D. P. and Read, D. J., The Biology of Mycorrhiza in
the Ericaceae. IV. The effect of mycorrhizal infection on
uptake of 15N from labelled soil by Vaccinium
macrocarpon Ait. New Phytol., 1974, Vol73, p.1149 et
seg.

Stribley, D. P. and Read, D. J., The Biology of Mycorrhiza in
the Ericaceae. VI. The effects of mycorrhizal infection
and concentration of ammonium nitrogen on growth of
cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) in sand
culture. New Phytol.. 1976. Vol.77 pp 63 - 72

Stribley, D. P. and Read, D. J., The Biology of Mycorrhiza in
the Ericaceae. VII. The relationship between infection
and the capacity to utilize simple and complex organic
nitrogen sources. New Phytol., 1980, Vol.85

Read, D. J., The Biology of Mycorrhiza in heathland
ecosystems with special reference to nitrogen nutrition of
the Ericaceae. In: Microdial Ecology, Loutit, M. W. and
Miles, J. A. R. (Eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1978.
pp.324 - 8.

Bradley, R, Burt, A. and Read, D. J., The Biology of
Mycorrhiza in the Ericaceae. VIII. The relationship
between infection and resistance to heavy metal toxicity.
New Phytol, 1980, 186 365 - 72.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

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YEAR BOOK 1981

Table 2. The effect of different nitrogen sources on
shoot dry weight (mg per pot) of Vaccinium
macrocarpon in mycorrhizal (M), non-
mycorrhizal sterile (NM) and_ non-
mycorrhizal non-sterile (SAP) condition.
Asterisks (*) denote significant differences
in dry weight between M and both other
treatments at p 0.05.

Nitrogen Source Treatment

(20.5 mg/1) M NM SAP
Ammonium 43.4 41.4 -
Glycine 43.9% 11.6 11.4
Alanine 47.6* 22.5 9.4
Aspartic Acid 29-5* 7.0 8.1
Glutamic Acid 39.4* 8.2 9.7
Glutamine 44.6* 18.2 23.3
No Nitrogen 6.0* 8.3 8.7

Erica arborea ‘ Alpina’
Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin,
West Clandon, Surrey.

If you ask a nurseryman or any experienced
gardener what is the exact difference between Erica
arborea and E. arborea ‘Alpina’, it is more than likely
that you will get an evasive answer. And if you hunt
through the many books on shrubs in a botanical library,
you will look in vain for a satisfactory description of this
distinct form of E. arborea. And yet, when it was first
introduced at the beginning of this century, it was
considered by Bean to be sufficiently different from the
type to warrant classification as a distinct species.

E. arborea has been grown in this country for a long
time. According to the records it was being grown in
Oxford in 1658. No doubt during the last 320 years the
plant, which grows naturally over a vast area, has been
collected from many different places. It would be

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

surprising if there were not some variation between
plants, which have had such different origins and from
which many seedlings must have arisen. There can be no
doubt that some of these have been sold as E. arborea
‘Alpina’.

E. arborea ‘Alpina’ was discovered by Georg
Dieck, the German plant collector and nurseryman of
Zoschen, in 1892, at a height of 1400m (4550 ft) at the
upper tree level, in a wild and inaccessible area of central
Spain, near the sources of the Tagus and the Jucar, in the
mountains of Cuenca. A plant was sent to Kew in 1899
and at about the same time it appeared in Dieck’s nursery
catalogue, as one of the most promising plants which he
had introduced. .

It is a reasonable assumption that all our plants of
this variety are descended from the same clone. Except
where a sport has occurred (such as the beautiful golden
form ‘Albert's Gold’), there should be no variation
between authentic specimens and the original plant
which Dieck collected.

The most commonly quoted characteristic of E.
arborea ‘Alpina’ is its hardiness. In Western Germany
and Holland, where weather conditions are more severe
than they are in the British Isles, it is the only form of
Tree Heath which is considered to be really hardy,
although even this plant is sometimes cut to the ground
by prolonged spells of hard frost. All the plants of E.
arborea growing in the open in North-West Europe are,
therefore, likely to be ‘Alpina’. In 1978 there were plants
growing in a Sheltered position at Driebergen, in
Holland, which were at least 10 ft high.

Early descriptions of E. arborea ‘Alpina’ are to be
found in Dieck’s Catalogue,1902/3, inthe Kew Bulletin,
1910 (Bean) and in Garden, 1911 (A. Osborn) with an
illustration of the Heath in flower. Dieck described “the
fine bright green foliage, the slim poplar-like growth and
the beautiful white flowers’.

Bean’s description reads:-
“Compared with the ordinary E. arborea, it is a sturdier

YEAR BOOK 1981

bush with stiffer, more erect branches, and altogether
more compact. The young shoots are covered (like the
type) with an abundance of branched hairs which, under
the lens, give them quite a mossy appearance. The
flowers are tiny but very numerous, of a rather dull white,
and produced in spring in stiff, pyramidal panicles | foot
or more long. The great charm of this variety, however, is
the cheerful vivid green of the plume-like branches all
through the winter. No frost since 1899 has affected it in
the least.”

Osborn said that the plant at Kew was 6 ft in height
(after 10 - 12 years). Bean, in Trees and Shrubs Hardy
in the British Isles (1914), described it as 8 to 10 feet
high and 24 ft across.

There was a tale that the plant received in 1899 was
still at Kew in 1945, but there is no information about
this in the Kew records, apart from a reference to the
original acquisition of the plant.

If we follow the clues given by Dieck, Bean and
Osborn, and if we take into account the description given
by Maxwell and Beale in their early catalogues that “‘it
flowers rather late’, we may find it not too difficult to
isolate plants of E. arborea ‘Alpina’ from other forms of
E. arborea.

We should look for the following characteristics:-

(a) The plant should be more like a shrub than a tree
in growth, and it should be more compact and
sturdy than the type of E. arborea.

(b) Normally it should grow to a height of 8 to 10 ft
(3m), and its spread should be as great as its
height.

(d) The flowers should be tiny, particularly in bud, in
stiff pyramidal clusters.

(e) The flowering time should be at least 4 to5 weeks
later than the type.

By examining plants in this country, which are

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

reputed to be authentic, and by comparing them with
plants growing in the open in Germany and Holland, it
has been possible to build up a comparative table
showing the differences between E. arborea and E.
arborea ‘Alpina’ (see Appendix).

Authentic plants may be seen at the R.HLS.
Gardens, Wisley, the Northern Horticultural Society’s
Gardens, Harlow Car, the Heather Garden in Windsor
Great Park and in the Hillier Arboretum.

E. arborea ‘Alpina’ was awarded an A.G.M. in
1933 and an A.M. in 1962.

Appendix

Comparative table, showing differences between E.
arborea and E. arborea ‘Alpina’.

E. arborea E. arborea ‘Alpina

Tall shrub or tree with a Compact branching shrub to

marked trunk to 20 ft Q, erect 10 ft(- 15), spreading to 20 ft

with spreading branches. (- 25).

Foliage dark emerald green. Foliage bright vivid green

Branches woody with side- Branches woody with many

stems, (mostly in threes,) side-stems, (mostly in

growing from leaf axils. threes,) closely —_ packed
together and comparatively
short.

Young shoots covered thickly Young shoots covered with

with branched hairs. branched hairs.

Leaves 4 to 8.75 mm long, Leaves 4 to 6 mm long, 0.5

0.75 mm wide. mm wide.

YEAR BOOK 1981

E. arborea

Pedicel 3 to5 mm, red, pink,
greenish white or white;
bracteoles at base or 1 mm
from base.

Calyx saccate, white; sepals
ovate, 1 to 1.5 mm.

Corolla globular with
recurving lobes, 3.5 mm long,
2 to 2.5 mm wide. Base of
corolla to base of inter-
section between lobes 2 to 2.5
mm.

Racemes up to 15 in(- 18 in)
long with slightly spreading
panicles.

Time of flowering.

Buds appear during second
half of November or early
December. In full flower
March to end of May.

Flowers very fragrant.

E. arborea ‘Alpina’

Pedicel 3.5 mm, white to
Sage green (no pink colour);
bracteoles at base.

Calyx saccate, white; sepals
ovate, 1 mm.

Corolla globular 3 mm long, 2
mm wide. Base of corolla to
base of intersection between
lobes 2 mm.

Racemes up to 12 in long,
with closely packed panicles,
cigar-shaped (reminiscent of
a Buddleia raceme).

Time of flowering. Buds
begin to form in early or mid-
December. In full flower in
mid-May.

Flowers fragrant.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

The Bell Heather in Madeira
David McClintock, Platt. Kent.

History

Very little seems to have been written about this
plant, endemic to Madeira. Its first recognition was by
George Bentham in 1839 in de Candolle’s Prodromus,
vol vii (2) p 666, when he formally named it var
maderensis of Erica cinerea. He distinguished it as
having “foliis non fasciculatis, corollis angustioribus’’
and cited a specimen he had seen from S. M. Lemann
(1806-52), who was in Madeira in 1837-8.

The Rev. R. T. Lowe (1802-74) spent 26 years in
the island mostly as English Chaplain. In his Manual
Flora of Madeira of 1868 he wrote that he “could
perceive no stable difference whatever to warrant
(Bentham’s) separation of the Madeiran plants as a
variety from the British or European’. He described the
leaves of the Madeiran plant as “presently fasciculate’’,
but in fact they never are, as the specimens he himself
collected demonstrate. At Kew there is an undated
specimen from C. B. Clarke( 1832-1906) on which is the
comment “very unlike English cinerea’; and that is the
strong impression most people get when they see it
growing - as few have.

Lowe’s assertion might have been influenced by the
unique, enigmatic, single specimen, now in the BM, of
what is undoubtedly good E. cinerea, leaves fasciculate
and all. Its label, in an unrecognised hand, runs “in
montibus aridis, inter St Anna et Pico Ruivo socialis
cum Vaccinio maderense’’. To this label has been added
in Mr. Lowe’s handwriting “Burao Paivo. August
10/60’. This sheet came from Mr. Lowe’s herbarium
and reached the museum on 22nd May 1875, after his
death by drowning. Nobody before or since has found
this plant - the locality indicated covers quite a wide area.
One wonders indeed if the label perhaps got stuck on to
the wrong sheet.

YEAR BOOK i981]

The next important event in this story was when
Bentham’s variety was raised to specific status bv J. F.
N. Bornmuller in 1904. His comments in Botanische
Jahrbucher, Vol. 33, p 458, after visits lasting 4 or 5
months to the isiand in 1900 and 1901 run “Sie
unterscheidet sich von der ihr nachstverwandten E.
cinerea L. durch die Gestalt der Corolla (fast
cylindrisch) mit weiter Offmung und = grossen
halbkreisformigen Saumlappen, ferner durch bedeutend
grossere blutrotgefarbte Kelche. Die Bluten befinden
sich scheinbar doldig am Ende der Zweige und haben in
ihrer Farbung nicht dem biaulichen Ton, welche fur E.
cinerea L. so charakeristisch ist,’ - no mention of the
most obvious feature, the non-fasciculate leaves.

Few however seemed to be aware oi this chauge of
rank, for the plant continued, with few exceptions,to the
present day to be called a variety of E. cinerea.

In mid July 1974 Don Richards and I went to
Madeira to study it. We had the benefit of the company
of the late Maj. H. Pickering, and saw it in about half a
dozen places between about 3,000 and 6,000 ft. It was in
quite small colonies, never abundant, few of which would
have been found without his help, Lower down, in
_ Sheltered open places it grew bushily to some 2 ft tail and
across, while high up it draped exposed rocks for 3 ft or
so, the plants evidently of considerable age. We also saw
it growing erect closely appressed against a rock face, in
a sheltered moist locality. All except the youngest plants
nad thick stout stems, and a iarge, robust look which
made them distinct in ‘jizz’ from European Bell
Heather. The colour of the flowers we saw was identical
with that of the usual form of E. terminalis - which is
mauve, H2. Lowe described them as rose pink, but later
added that they varied from light pink to full deep rose or
rose purple, never white. My notes say that one plant at
Pedra de Rija had flowers which varied from deep rose
pink back to very near white, not apparently caused by
shade. But I wonder . . . We brought back a good
representative set of specimens, some of which were

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

presented to the BM; several are in the Society's
herbarium. Other recent visitors have seen and collected
it, for example Mr. B. Halliwell of Kew, Dr. J. Lovis of
Leeds, Prof. D. M. Moore of Reading and Mr. C. Pettitt
of Manchester.

Comparison

In stoutness, unfasciculate leaves and flower colour
the Madeiran plant is indeed reminiscent of Z£.
terminalis, and Mr. Ross, then Keeper of Botany at the
British Museum, wrote “‘it has, of course, nothing to do
with E. cinerea... (it) is closest to E. terminalis’. In
order to assess this and to see just how these differed,the
following table emerged - characters common to all three
taxa are omitted: I agree with Bornmuller’s distinctions
only over the shape of the corolla and its colour. The
areas of natural distribution of the three are quite
distinct, with no overlap.

cinerea maderensis terminalis
Habitat moorland montane sheltered valleys
Height/length 5-60 cm 5 - 60 cm 100 - 180 cm
Young shoots pubescent pubescent glabrescent
Old stems thin thick thicker
short-lived long-lived long-lived
Habit prostrate-erect _prostrate-erect erect
Leaves in 3’s, soon Bes 4’s- 6's
fasciculate
Leaf length, mm 3 - 7 4.5-6(-10) 4-7 (-10) .
Leaf margin inrolled inrolled half rolled
Inflorescence racemose paniculate umbellate
Flowering period June - Sept. May- Oct. July - Oct.
in England
Bracteoles close to calyx close to calyx half way
Hyaiine calyx narrow broad none
lobe margin
Calyx: corolla c. 1: 2 [ere Sr aes # le 33
Corolla shape — _urceolate narrow ovoid narrow ovoid
Typical colour purplish dull pink dull pink
Anther broad,sharply filiform, narrow, minutely
appendages toothed entire toothed
Pollen grains tetrads tetrads free
Pollen size, AT 40 - 48 2D
/* microns or 10°6m
Ovary glabrous glabrous pubescent

Maj. - Gen. P. G. Turpin, C.B., O.B.E.
The Chairman of the Heather Society.

Plate 1a

Plate 1b.

Plate 1c.

Transverse section of a hair root of Calluna showing a
single outer row of infected cortical cells each of which
is densely packed with fungal mycelium.

Scanning electron micrograph of the surface of a hair
root of Calluna showing weft of external hyphae of the
mycorrhizal fungus, some of which are penetrating the
outer cortical cell walls.

Transmission electron micrograph of cortical cells of a
hair root showing individual hyphal elements filling the
cells.

2a-d

Plates 2a-d

Plate 2e

Stages in the emergence of the mycorrhizal fungus from
an infected cortical cell which, as one of a group, has
been dissected from a root and placed on nutrient agar.

Lateral view of root of an aseptically grown Calluna
seedling which has been inoculated with the
mycorrhizal fungus. Early stages of fungal infection of
the cortical cells can be seen.

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YEAR BOOK 1981

Discussion

This suggests that E. maderensis has much more in
common with E. cinerea than with E. terminalis: the
nature of the pollen grains is especially noticeable. But
the table also shows that E. maderensis differs in enough
ways for varietal status to be insufficient to separate it.
The category of sub-species was not used in Bentham’s
day, and it is for consideration whether this is not a
correct assessment of the distance the Madeira plant has
developed in isolation from E. cinerea. My view is that
Bornmuller was right and the two have deviated
sufficiently for each to be granted specific status. It
would help if someone could try to cross the two and see
what happened.

Garden Value

This species has been growing in my garden at Platt
for some years now. Here it does not really thrive or
make the floriferous display to be seen in the climate of
Madeira. In D. Richards’ garden in Cumbria however,
seedlings ““keep popping up all over the place.” Until
they flower, he cannot tell them from those of E. arborea,
E. lusitanica or E. australis. He considers it a neat and
charming plant for the rock garden in acid conditions.
Certainly it does have a character of its own, in addition
to its botanical interest.

Acknowledgements

Mr. R. Ross at the British Museum (Natural
History) took a keen interest in this plant in the early
days of this enquiry. It is due to the skill of Dr. G. Clarke,
also of the BM, that we know about its pollen; and I have
discussed the plant helpfully with Brian Halliwell and
~ Don Richards, among others.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Riddles of the Irish Heaths -

An Irish Tour
May. E. W. M. Magor, St Tudy, Cornwall.

Visiting Connemara before the war with my father-
in-law and my (then) fiancée, I remember him pointing
across the bog south of Clifden and saying “there are the
Clifden Nearings, where I used to shoot snipe as a boy; I
believe some interesting heathers grow there.’ Later, my
wife gave me a copy of Dr. R. Lloyd Praeger’s The
Botanist in Ireland, and I discovered what those
heathers were, but the opportunity never arose till now to
go and see them for myself.

At the time of the Heather Society Conference in
1979, after a day among the Erica ciliaris on Hartland
Moor, If asked if anyone could tell me more about where I
could see E. mackaiana, and was referred to the Rev. P.
P. Flavin’s article on Craiggamore in the Heather
Society Year Book for 1967 (1). Having by this time
seen in the wild all the heaths native to England, I was
anxious to see the Irish heaths also. Seeing in the 1980
Year Book, David McClintock’s review of /rish
Gardening and Horticulture, of which a joint editor was
Dr. E. C. Nelson, I wrote to ask him whether he could
suggest a local botanist who might be persuaded to show
me the Connemara heaths.

To my delighted surprise, Charles Nelson promptly
replied that he was himself quite willing to be persuaded,
and suggested including E. mackaiana in Donegal and
E. vagans in Fermanagh also for good measure. In my
elation, I mentioned this to David McClintock, and was
even more delighted when he said that he would come
too.

The McClintocks and I crossed with a car from
Liverpool to Belfast on the night of August 7th, 1980.
Leaving the McClintocks to spend the weekend with
relations, I went off plant hunting on my own for a couple
of days, armed with directions very kindly provided by
Paul Hackney, Assistant Keeper of the Department of

YEAR BOOK 1981

Botany at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. First however I
went to the Magilligan Dunes in County Londonderry,
east of the mouth of Lough Foyle, to look for E.
terminalis, long naturalised just west of the level
crossing, but I failed to find the right spot. I was consoled
however by seeing quantities of Sea Buckthorn, Burnet
Rose (fruiting), Harebell, Grass of Parnassus and Viola
curtisil.

On August 11th, we met Charles Nelson at L.
Nacung in the west of Co Donegal, in the shadow of
Errigal and in view of The Poisoned Glen. E.
mackaiana was first collected on the shores of Upper
Lough Nacung in 1909, but not recognised as such until
much later. Here, I received my first lesson in
distinguishing it from FE. tetralix and the hybrid, E. x
stuartii (formerly x praegeri (2) ). In this station, E.
mackaiana is perhaps easier to distinguish than it is in
Connemara, as it seems here a taller plant with showy
umbel-like inflorescences, and the flowers larger and of a
richer colour. Typically, in E. mackaiana the sepals and
ovary are glabrous, while in E. fetralix these parts are
downy. In typical E. mackaiana the foliage on the
flowering shoots stands out thickly, nearly horizontally,
right up to the inflorescence, while in E. tetralix it is
Sparser, appressed and absent immediately below the
flowers. The hybrid does not stand out as showily as E.
mackaiana, and is intermediate in these characters.
Later, in Connemara as I begun to get my eye in, we were
to see much variation in E. mackaiana, and in E. x
stuartii, as well as forms of F. tetralix that were
eglandular and even glabrous.

How comes it that this flourishing station was only
found 75 years after the plant was first identified in
Connemara, and are we really certain that it does not
occur elsewhere also, away from a road, perhaps in
Mayo or Sligo ? In fact, it had been recorded in 1962/3
from Portacloy in Co. Mayo. (3)

From L. Nacung, we crossed the border again into
Co. Fermanagh without let or hindrance and, after being

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

very hospitably entertained by Charles Nelson’s
parents, next day visited the colony of FE. vagans in what
is now the Carrickbrawn Area of Scientific Importance
by the Black River, north of Upper L. Macnean, near
Belcoo (HO 30439, O.S.N.I. 1”? sheet 7). It was first
found there by Major Dickie of Enniskillen while out
shooting some time prior to 1936, (4).

There are about 500 plants over an area some 50
yards by 30 yards; the remarkable thing is that they are
all white-flowered. This is the only station in Ireland
where this Lusitanian heath has any claim to being
native; the only place in Britain where it is undeniably
native is the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, where over a
wide area it is almost the dominant heath and, though
more often white than with other native species, this is by
no means the normal colour. Could this be a pre-glacial
survival ? The status of this colony is fully discussed in
Nelson and Coker’s paper (5); see also (6) and Jrish
Gardening and Horticulture, 1979, p 27.

From Fermanagh, we then drove down through
Roscommon into Galway, and on to Roundstone (L
7241 O.S.I. %” sheet 10), where we stayed for four
nights. Praeger (7) records that EF. mackaiana “has its
headquarters at Craigga-more Lough, 4 miles NNW of
Roundstone. From that place, it has been traced for a
mile E and W and S across the wet bogs to Letterdife and
(up to600 ft.) on the hill of Urrisbeg where it may be seen
mingling with FE. mediterranea (sic.)..... occupying wet
boggy valleys on the NW slope. It occurs again at Carna,
7 miles to the SE.”

We lost no time the morning after our arrival in
going over the ““Bog Road” from Toombeola (L 7544)
towards Ballinaboy(L6648), stopping at Craigha Moira
as Babington called it, or Craiggamore, as it is usually
known, Pt. 201 (L 7245), a name which is not on the 4"
O.S. map, and which Flavin had such trouble in finding.
There, on both sides of the road, over the hill and round
the lough to the NW of this hill, which Flavin called
Lough Nabrackamore (L 7245), E. mackaiana is

YEAR BOOK 1981

plentiful, spreading in all directions by its shallow
rhizomes. The hybrid, E. x stuartii, is there too, and
there seemed to be more of this as one got further away
from Craiggamore; no unusual colour forms of either
were seen, but white E. fetralix was seen occasionally.
Not far away, the Lesser Waterlily, Nymphaea
occidentalis Moss was seen in a number of the loughs, as
were Lobelia dortmanna and Eriocaulon septangulare,
and in one piece of bog close to the road, all three species
of Sundew were plentiful.

The first record of E. mackaiana is that its
distinctiveness had been recognised by a local botanist,
William M’Calla, the son of the hotel-keeper at
Roundstone, who showed it to C. C. Babington at
Craiggamore on the 2nd September, 1835. Babington,
later Professor of Botany at Cambridge, considered it a
new species, and included a description in a paper which
he read to the Linnean Society on the 1st December of
that year, suggesting the name EF. biformis for it. Before
he returned to England, he had left material of the heath
at Trinity College, Dublin, for the Curator of the Botanic
Garden, J. T. Mackay, who sent some of it to Dr.
William J. Hooker, then Professor of Botany at
Glasgow. Hooker mentioned this new heath in a short
article in the Botanic Magazine, in which he suggested
that it be named Mackaii, after Mackay. This article was
published on the same day as Babington read his paper to
the Linnean Society; Babington very reluctantly
accepted that the plant should be named after Mackay
but, as he had not been the finder, it became E.
mackaiana Bab. (8)

On the 14th September, 1846, Thomas Fleming
Bergin of Westland Row, Dublin, a Life Member of the
Royal Irish Academy, and Secretary of the Dublin and
Kingston Railway Company, alighted from his (outside)
car while driving near Craiggamore and stumbled upon
an unfamiliar heath close to the road, having stepped
across a bank or wall. He picked some plants and showed
them to William M’Calla, by then schoolmasier at

35)

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Ballynhinch, who identified them as E. ciliaris. The
plants were sent to David Moore, Curator of the Botanic
Gardens at Glasnevin, and a report by the editor,
Edward Newman, was contained in the November issue
of The Phytologist Professor J. H. Balfour saw the
plants in August 1852, and in later years both Babington
and A. G. More looked for it, once with Balfour, but it
was not seen again until Michael Lambert re-found it in
1965 (9. 10).

After showing me £. mackaiana at Craiggamore,
my guides took me on towards Ballinaboy, and we
stopped and alighted from our (motor) car (like Bergin),
and stepped down a stone bank, to see a line of eight
plants (clumps) of E. ciliaris, growing up through, and
largely concealed by, Molinia. It flowers rather later
here than in SW England, and the westernmost plant had
two inflorescences on it, just beginning to open on the
13th August. We searched all round and saw no more,
and no sign of EF. x watsonii, although there was
plenty of E. tetralix. E. x stuartii was also seen not far
away, both east and west. I would think that this is
undoubtedly the same colony that Bergin found, though
the original localities are somewhat vague. It is
surprising that Balfour did not see it when he went back,
but at present it is certainly well concealed by the
Molinia. It is curious that, untypically, it is eglandular,
(11) though otherwise to the naked eye it is very typical
E. ciliaris in appearance. Like the white E. vagans in
Fermanagh, how did this Lusitanian species, so plentiful
on the Isleof Purbeck in Dorset, and on boggy heaths
near Truro in Cornwall, get there ? Is it a pre-glacial
survival, or could it have been planted there, many years
ago, in a straight line, by the side of the road ?

YEAR BOOK 1981

Daboecia cantabrica, St. Dabeoc’s Heath, but why
do we now Spell its botanical name in this curious fashion‘
Babington and Praeger did not, and Gilbert-Carter (12)
rightly said that Linnaeus had spelt it wrongly. Anyway,
we saw this beautiful heath in a number of places in
Connemara, never very far from the road or very high up
the hills, growing with other heaths, sometimes locally
dominant. We did not see any unusual colour forms,
apart from two plants of the white form, indicated to us
by Colonel Anthony Morris, growing among Bell
Heather and Gorse and the normal-coloured form, on the
east side of the road, not far from his home at Ballinaboy.
Near L. Sheedagh at Carna, next day,cuttings were taken
from a plant that Charles Nelson showed us, whose
flowers had a markedly globose corolla with wide
petaloid filaments and a split style, malformed rather in
the same way as the E. mackaiana cultivar, ‘Maura’
(13), which was found not far away.

On our second day in Connemara, we visited Carna
(L 7832) where we saw Juncus planifolius (14), the
grass-leaved rush, reminiscent of a Luzula, naturalised
in a ditch by the roadside, more or less opposite the
school SE of the village. It is known in the Northern
Hemisphere otherwise only in Hawaii and Oregon.
Perhaps % mile beyond this, over a rise in the ground, we
turned down a track to the left (north), and walked over
an area of very wet raised-tog between Pt. 118 (L 8031)
and L. Sheedagh. This is the main Carna station for E.
mackaiana, probably discovered there by A. G. More in
1874, and seen there by Miss Knowles in 1910,but not
seen again until it was re-found by Professor D. A.
Webb, Dr. G. Halliday and R. McMullen in 1969. It
covers an area of about two acres, enclosed by granite
outcrops, and contains FE. x stuartii also, and the * Maura’
form of E. mackaiana with the fused petaioid filaments.
Here E. mackaiana seems smaller and the flowers paler,
and all the plants were eglandular, as also was a white E.
tetralix found here. It is curious to note this variation of
E. mackaiana from north to south. Going on from here,

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

back towards the school, we found another small group
of E. mackaiana on the side of a rocky outcrop in a drier
environment, the majority of which had petaloid
stamens; this may have been More’s original Carna
station, as his specimen contained a high proportion of
such flowers.

On our third day in Connemara, we picked up
Colonel! Morris in Clifden and met Mrs. Willoughby at
Renvyle (L 6982), where we saw the enigmatic water
weed, Hydrilla,in the lough (15). Mrs. Willoughby then
took us to see an hitherto unrecorded patch of E. erigena
by the side of the Culfin River flowing out of L. Muck
south west of Salruck(L7763). Across Killary Harbour
to the north, we could make out the mass of this fine
heather on the southern slops of Mweelrea (L 7866).
That afternoon we took Mrs. Willoughby to see E.
mackaiana and E. ciliaris on the Bog Road, after
dropping Col. Morris at his home at Ballinaboy.

After this it was suggested that we should go and see
E. erigena on Errisbeg (16), where Mackay saw it 150
years ago, even though it would not be in flower, and also
look for E. mackaiana there and towards Letterdife,
where Praeger had recorded it, though later observers
thought it did not extend so far south.

So, we all started up the hill behind Roundstone and
reached the saddle between the two peaks where, among
other things, we sew Juniperus communis ssp. nana
(sibirica) creeping over rocks and much grazed. Below,
to the NW, we could see a line of dark bushes winding
downhill, and on closer examination this turned out to be
an extensive colony of E. erigena, growing in the well-
drained ground either side of the streams flowing into L.
Nalawney(L6941). Except for one large patch half-way
down which was rather yellow, possibly because the
ground was boggier, for the most part this heath appeared
to be in very good condition. As we got nearer the lough,
we found E. mackaiana, growing sparingly on blanket
peat with E. x stuartii and E. tetralix.

YEAR BOOK 1981

Next morning we _ returned, to approach
L. Nalawney from below, by the track starting along the
SW side of Errisbeg, and found E. erigena extending for
about half a mile on both sides of the outlet stream with
scattered patches of E. mackaiana around the lough and
up the slope of the hill with E. x stuartii and E. tetralix.

Having found Praeger justified thus far, it was
agreed to reconnoitre the NE shoulder of Errisbeg above
Letterdife (L 7141), and we found a peat road, not
marked on the map, over the shoulder, heading in the
direction of Pt. 155 (L_ 7343). We took the car up this at
about 5 mph, with one of the party on either side of the
track, and came upon £. mackaiana in wet blanket bog
within 4 mile of the hamlet of Letterdife. Ficus. tice we
traced it north towards Craiggamore till the track faded
out; populations were found south and west of L. Doon
and near the SE shore of L. Cam due west of Pt. 155.

This bears out more or less what Praeger wrote 46
years ago about the distribution of EF. mackaiana in
(Connemara, but various observers in recent years have
shown that it also extends further north and west of
Craiggamore than Praeger had stated or than Webb's
survey showed (17, 18). Visitors to the area will find
themselves handicapped by the non-availability of a
larger scale map than the 4%" to 1 mile 0.S. Sheet 10,
Connemara, on which the names of few of these small
loughs are marked.

From Roundstone, we drove down to the SW, to
Killarney where the only heavy rain of our tour
prevented us seeing Arbutus unedo (the Strawberry tree)
in the wild, then to Tahilla on the Kenmare River, and
after that over the lovely mountain road to Bantry Bay,
and then up to Cork. In the course of this we visited the
fabulous gardens at Adare, Rossdohan, IInacullin, Fota,
Ashbourne House and Anne’s Grove, with their
wonderful conifers and bamboos. On the last day, I paid
a visit with Charles Nelson to the SE corner of Ireland to
see Otanthus (Diotis) maritimus, flourishing in its only
remaining station in the British Isles.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

For a fascinating fortnight, and for access to the
various papers that they have both written on the riddles
of the Irish neaths, I am greatly beholden to David
McClintock and to Charles Nelson, who has written
further details in an account for The Irish Naturalists
Journal (18), with more to follow.

The map accompanying this article is from Dr. Nelson’s paper
(18) and is published here by kind permission of the Editor of The Irish
Naturalists’ Journal.

YEAR BOOK 1981

REFERENCES

Flavin, P. P., Some Notes on Craiggamore and Erica
mackaiana, Heather Society Year Book, 1967, pp. 34 - 37
McClintock, D., The status of, and correct name for, Erica
*Stuarti’, Watsonia, 1979, Vol. 12, pp. 249 - 252

Lamb, J. E. D.,, On the possible occurrence of .. £. mackaiana in
Co. Mayo Ir. Nat J., 1964, Vol XIV, No.9, pp. 213 - 214.
Praeger, R. Lloyd, The Cornish heath in Ireland, Jr. Nat J.,
1938, Vol. 7,. pp. 3-5

Nelson, E. C. and Coker, P. D., Ecology and Status of Erica
vagans in County Fermanagh, Ireland, Bot J. Linn. Soc., 1974,
Vol. 69, pp. 153 - 195

McClintock, D. and Rose, F., Cornish Heath in Ireland, Jr. Nat
J., 1970 Vol. 16, No. 12, pp. 387 - 390

Praeger, R. Lloyd, The Botanist in Ireland, 1934, 389
Nelson, E. Charles, Historical Records of the Irish Ericaceae,
with particular reference to the discovery and naming of Erica
mackaiana, J. Soc. Bibl Nat Hist, 1979, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp.
289 - 299

Webb, D. A., Ervica ciliaris in Ireland, Proc. Bot. Soc. Br. Isl.,
1966, Vol. 6, pp. 221 - 225

. Eager, A. R., Nelson, E. C., and Scannell, M. J. P., Erica ciliaris

in Connemara, 1846 - 1853, Ir, Nat J., 1978, Vol. 19, No. 7,
pp. 244 - 245

. McClintock, D., Further Notes on Erica ciliaris in Ireland, Proc.

Bot. Soc. Br. Isl., 1968, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 177 - 178
Gilbert - Carter, H., Glossary of the British Flora, 1950

. McClintock, D., A Day in my Heather Garden, The Garden,

1980, Vol. 105, No. 5, p. 195

Scannell, Mary J. P., Juncus planifolius R. Br. in Ireland, Jr.
Nat J., 1973, Vol. 17, No. 9, pp. 308 - 309

Scannell, M. J. P., and Webb, D. A., The Identity of the Renvyle
Hyadrilla, ibid., 1976, Vol. 18, No. 11, pp. 327 - 331
McClintock, David, Some Notes on Erica ‘mediterranea’, Ir.
Nat J., 1969, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 154 - 158

Scannell, Mary J. P., and McClintock, David, Erica mackaiana
Bab. in Irish Localities and other Plants of Interest, Jr. Nat J.,
1974, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 81 - 82

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

18. Nelson, E. Charles, Studies in Erica mackaiana Bab. 1;
Distribution in Connemara, Ireland, Jr. Nat J., 1981, Vol. 20,
No. 5.

YEAR BOOK 198]

Black Polythene Mulches
I. A. Julian, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire

For many years gardeners have known of the virtues
of black plastic sheet used as a mulch to suppress weeds
and to inhibit moisture evaporation. Recently there has
been an upsurge in interest in its use in horticulture, and
in Norway, for instance, black polythene sheet has for
long been used to mulch strawberry plantations.

The impervious nature of the sheet prevents
evaporation of moisture from the soil that it covers, and,
being black, light cannot pass through to the soil to
stimulate the germination of weed seeds. The absorption
of the Sun’s radiated heat by the black sheet and its re-
radiation into the plants when the Sun is obscured is
thought to have a significantly beneficial effect on growth
also. It is these benefits which make the use of polythene,
in this way, so attractive as an aid to growing heathers.

More than twenty years ago I first used black plastic
sheet in my garden. It was a means of avoiding the chore
of earthing up potatoes. Twenty-four inch wide material
was laid along the rows and the potatoes were planted at
the usual intervals through slits in the sheet. The results
were outstandingly good and considerable time and
effort had been saved. Unfortunately a large number of
small black field slugs were encouraged to colonise by
the protective polythene cover and most of the potatoes
were attacked. The soil was mainly sand and very
sharply drained, and the plants had responded to the
increased moisture content.

It was not until 1976 that I had occasion to use the
black sheet again as a mulch. This time the suppression
of weeds was the objective. The weeding team at Harlow
Car had been unsuccessful in coping with the numerous
weeds on the heather trial plot by conventional hoeing
and hand weeding and it became apparent that, with so

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

few helpers a less labour intensive method had to be
found. Two trials were instituted; the application of a
persistent soil herbicide - Casoron G - , and a mulch
consisting of 12 inch strips of black polythene sheet laid
along each side of a row of heathers that had been planted
during the previous year. At the end of the season each
had proved successful in suppressing the germination
and growth of weeds. For reasons of cost and
convenience it was decided to use Casoron on the whole
plot the following year. 1976 was a year of severe
drought, but despite this the mulched plants grew
normally when others of the same batch, that had been
planted nearby at the same time, showed signs of acute
distress. The mulch was left in position and in the
following years comparisons of mulched and un
mulched plants dramatically demonstrated the benefits
of black polythene mulching. The Weed Research
Organisation in their booklet Chemical Weed Controlin
Your Garden comment on the effects of polythene
mulching other than on weeds as follows:- “‘ There appear
to be beneficial effects, not yet fully evaluated, all of
which encourage vigorous growth and more reliable
establishment of transplanted stock’.

A polythene sheet laid on the surface, between the
plants, is unsightly and subject to disturbance by wind,
but if covered with a thin layer of soil these disadvantages
disappear. This year I polythene-mulched a kidney-
shaped heather bed in my garden. In it were 65 three-
year old Calluna plants of coloured foliage cultivars. A
layer of soil of not more than one inch thickness was
removed from the surface between the plants, taking care
not to take it from the roots, the perennial weeds were
dealt with,and strips and rectangles of polythene were
laid between and around the plants, each piece
overlapping the adjacent piece. The soil was replaced
evenly over the polythene which was obscured
completely. One could not detect a difference between
‘before’ and “‘after’. The bed rises towards the centre
and in consequence subsequent heavy rains uncovered

YEAR BOOK 1981

some high spots of polythene which, however, were not
objectionable.

So far, no weeds have appeared but it is expected
that a few seeds will germinate. They are unlikely to
develop, as the moisture will evaporate from the thin
layer of soil after a few days without rain. From my short
experience with this experimental bed it is apparent that
polythene mulching will look untidy on sloping land but
achieves its object unobtrusively on the flat.

Observations of Lime Sensitivity in
Young Plants of some Exvica, Calluna

and Daboecia Cultivars.
Dr. J. Griffiths, Garforth, Yorkshire

During the summer of 1979 a modest programme of
heather propagation was undertaken, and cuttings of
several of the more popular cultivars were successfully
struck by early autumn. The cuttings were overwintered,
and then potted on in mid-April of the following year.
The potting-on compost was prepared from fine moss
peat (2 parts), lime-free loam (1 part), perlite (1 part),
and gritty sand (1 part). At the time I had reason to
believe that the sand was lime-free, but after noting
certain peculiarities in plant growth during subsequent
months, a closer investigation was undertaken, only to
reveal that in fact the sand was particularly high in lime
content.

Although unfortunate from the propagating point of
view, this mischance did enable me to make some
observations on the relative sensitivities under
controlled conditions of various cultivars to lime in the
growing medium. All the plants involved had healthy
root systems and foliage at the potting-on stage, and were
grown on in a cold greenhouse between mid-April and
the end of August, 1980. The pH of the rooting mixture
was between 7.8 and 8.0.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

The first comment to make concerns the somewhat
surprising insensitivity of the initial rooting process to
pH of the medium, since all the cuttings were struck in a
1:1 mixture of peat and the same limey sand. The healthy
condition of the rooted cuttings after overwintering in
this medium, admittedly a period of minimal stem
growth, suggested that pH intolerance may only manifest
itself during the growth of cuttings that involves
photosynthesis in the leaves.

Subsequent growth of the plants during the spring
and summer showed markedly different results,
however, and it was soon evident that certain cultivars
were suffering inhibition, whereas others were
progressing with vigour. After observing the behaviour of
the plants during the April to August period, I was able to
assess the relative effects of the alkaline growth medium
on various plants, and the results are summarised in the
accompanying Table. In no case were less than four
plant samples of each cultivar used for this survey, so
that growth rate variations could be safely ascribed to pH
sensitivity, and not to other cultivational variables. For
convenience, I have rated the relative lime sensitivities of
the listed plants on an arbitrary scale of 0 - 3, where a
value of 0 denotes no perceptible effect of lime on
growth, | indicates a moderate inhibition of growth, 2 a
severe inhibition, and 3 indicates that the plant failed to
survive during the growing-on period. Assessments were
made by considering the degree of abnormal foliage
colour, distorted leaves and stems, and low overall
growth rate.

Although the data of the Table show no real
Surprises, certain points are worthy of comment and may
indicate the way for further experiments of this kind. In
addition to the lime-insensitive Erica carnea, E. erigena
and FE. x darleyensis cultivars, the E. vagans varieties
came out equally well under these conditions. H. Street
in his article “Living with Lime” (Heather Society Year
Book, 1979, p.17) has also noted a lime tolerance in this
species somewhat better than is generally expected.

YEAR BOOK 1981

Daboecia varieties also proved interesting, in that D.
cantabrica “Polifolia’ and ‘Alba’ showed no lime
sensitivity in these tests, whereas D. x scotica ‘William
Buchanar’ and ;' Jack Drake’ were severely affected. It
would seem that these hybrids inherit the lime sensitivity
of the D. azorica parent, but curiously not the tendency
to climatic tenderness of that species. The usefully low
pH sensitivity of some D. cantabrica cultivars under
garden conditions has been noted previously by Jones
(Observations on Lime Tolerance, Heather Society
Year Book, 1977, p. 40).

In the case of Calluna vulgaris cultivars, the
expected high lime sensitivity was observed, but
interesting differences between certain cultivars were
detectable. For example, “County Wickiow jioved
particularly susceptible. The varieties ‘H. E. Beale’ and
‘Peter Sparkes’ proved somewhat less lime sensitive, but
this may be attributable to their more vigorous growth
characteristics. “Sister Anne’, ‘Dainty Bess’ and
‘Golden Carpet’ fared much better, however, and
showed a usefully low sensitivity, at least in comparison
with other members of the series.

These results raise the interesting question of
possible variation in lime tolerance between cultivars of
a particular species, and it would seem that further
experimental work along these lines could be rewarding,
especially for those heather enthusiasts with problem
soil conditions. Who knows ? Perhaps those
evolutionary factors that have provided us with such a
wide range of colourful cultivars might also be exploited
to give new varieties with improved lime-tolerance
properties. As a tentative example of how this might be
achieved, I can describe a simple experiment that was
carried out in parallel with those already mentioned. In
the late summer of 1979, some twenty seedlings from
C.v. ‘Mullion’ were potted on in the same compost

-mixture as that described earlier. During the following
months several seedlings dwindled and eventually died,
until by September, 1980, only eleven remained. Of

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

these, only four were reasonably healthy, and will be
transferred to mew containers for longer term
observation. Obviously with such a small sample
number, it is unlikely that any significant variations in
lime tolerance will be found, but similar selective trials
with large numbers of seedlings could be profitable.

As a footnote, I might add that all the plants raised
from cuttings that were subjected to the earlier
mentioned growing conditions have now been re-potted
in lime-free compost. The plants showing poor growth
were also watered with ferrous sulphate solution, and
after one month’s growth, all are now in a much better
condition, and will be suitable for planting out in the
spring of 1981.

Lime sensitivity of various cultivars

Calluna vulgaris

‘Dainty Bess’, Golden Carpet’, ‘Sister Anne’ 1

‘J. H. Hamilton’ 2

‘Alba Plena’, ‘Alba Rigida’, ‘Blazeaway’, ‘H.E. Beale’,

‘Mullion’, “Peter Sparkes’, ‘Tib’

‘Californian Midge’, “County Wicklow
Daboecia cantabrica

‘Alba’, ‘Polifolia’ 0
Daboecia x scotica

‘Jack Drake’, ‘William Buchanan’ 2
Erica carnea

‘Carnea’, ‘King George’, ‘Myretoun Ruby’,

‘Springwood Pink’, ‘Springwood White’ 0
Erica erigena

‘Irish Dusk’, ‘W.T. Rackliff 0
Erica tetralix

‘Alba Mollis’, ‘Con Underwood’ 2
Erica vagans

*Pallida’, ‘Mrs. D.F. Maxwell 0

‘Valerie Proudley’ j\O- ft
Erica x darleyensis i

‘Silberschmelze’ 0
Erica x stuartii

*Stuarti?’ 1-2
Erica x watsonii

‘Dawn’ 2
Erica x williamsii

‘*P.D. Williams’ 3

YEAR BOOK 1981

The Slide Library

Over the past year, Neil Brummage and David
Small have been reviewing the Society’s Slide Library.
In the past, members requesting slides from the Librarian
often did so by asking for specific types of slides, rather
than asking for Box A or Box B. Thus the review that has
been undertaken, was not only to improve the quality of
the slides, but also to categorise them into modular
blocks, often asked for in the past, so that members need
only ask for slides pertinent to their talks. The new
modules are as follows :-

Module 1 - Wild Heathers
This module shows a cross section of
wild heather sites and some close-ups of
the native species. We hope that this
module will, in time, contain examples of
all species from the Northern
Hemisphere.
Module 2 - Diversity of Heathers
A range of slides, showing the
different habits, foliage and flower
colours etc.
Module 3 - Garden Design
This module shows designs of small
and large gardens, including some design
features to avoid. It should, in time,
contain slides on the preparation of beds
and after care.
Modules 4 to 7 are collections of named heathers,
usually depicting single mature specimens. We are so
short of slides of this type that we are unable to subdivide
further than the rather broad classes set out below.
Module 4 - Callunas
Module 5 - Summer - flowering Heaths
Module 6 - Winter - flowering Heaths
Module 7 - Cape Heaths
Module 8 - Botanical. A collection of slides showing
schizopetalous, fissa forms etc., close-ups of corolla,
roots etc., and sports.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Module 9 - Miscellaneous.

Slides depicting propagation,
exhibiting, diseases, trials and other
plants that can be associated with
heathers.

Modules vary in size from 5 to a maximum of 20,
depending on the topic and the availability of slides. The
following are examples of how the modular system will
work.

a). For a talk in an area where the soil will not readily
permit Callunas and cinereas to be grown Modules 1, 2,
3, and two of Module 6 could be used to emphasise the
use of Winter-flowering heaths in such areas.

b). A member giving a talk to other members, might well
request Modules 3, 2 x 4,2 x 5, 2 x 6, 7, 8, and 9.

If in doubt, request one Module of each or, better,
tell the Slide Librarian the subject of your talk, giving
some idea of your audience, and he will advise.

All slides are being reframed, to overcome the
difficulty with focusing which has sometimes been
encountered in the past, and a brief ““scenario’”’ is being
prepared on each slide tc help members giving a talk for
the first time. The packaging is also being changed to
minimise postage, each Module being housed in a small
plastic slide box. These are then placed in a Jiffy bag for
safe transit through the post.

Finally, the Society is very short of good quality
Slides, as has been mentioned above. If you feel that you
can donate any slides, please write to the new Slide
Librarian, David Small, to whom very special thanks are
due for so much trouble.

YEAR BOOK 1981

New Acquisitions
J. Platt, Ulnes Walton, Nr. Leyland, Lancashire

In his previous lists Jack Platt has described 93
recently introduced cultivars. This year he adds another
17 which have found their way into his garden during the
past year. Perhaps the flow is slowing down somewhat,
but his enthusiasm does not wane. He has collected
plants from as far afield in the British Isles as Perthshire,
Cornwall and Suffolk, and also lists some new Dutch
cultivars.

We have continued the practice of giving, in
parentheses, the sources of earlier publications of the
names, where known. Thus (P.G., p. 31) indicates that
the name may be found on page 31 of the Pocket Guide to
Heather Gardening, 4th edition. Ed.)

Calluna vulgaris
‘Allegro’ Aug. - Oct.
50 cm. This plant arose as a seedling , reputedly from ‘Alportii
Praecox’. It has ruby (HS) flowers which are borne on long
spikes, making it an outstanding plant. It was introduced by P.
Bakhuyzen of Boskoop (P. G., p. 30).
‘Anne Dobbin’ Aug. - Sept.
This minute prostrate plant was found by Mrs. Eileen Porter prior
to 1975. The foliage is dark green and the flowers are pink. It was
introduced by Mr. P. J. Foley of Holden Clough Nursery, Lancs.
and was at first called ‘Minnie’.
‘Applecross’ Sept. - Oct.
50 cm. A double with rose pink (H7) flowers and dark green
foliage. The flowering stems are long and tapering without lateral
racemes. This, coupled with the broad erect habit gives the
impression of a greater daintyness than C. v. ‘Peter Sparkes’. It
was found at Applecross by J. Mair in 1971, and introduced by P.
G. Zwijnenburg of Boskoop (P. G., p. 30).
‘Dickson’s Blazes’ Aug. - Sept.
The most outstanding feature of this plant is its spreading foliage
which is flecked with cream in the spring and summer. The
flowers are pink (H§8). It arose as a seedling, reputedly from C. v.
‘Olive Turner’ and was known by 1976. It was raised and
introduced by R. J. Brien. (Heather Society Year Book, 1979, p.
56).

ant

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

‘Guinea Gold’ Sept. - Oct.
This is probably the most vigorous of the white flowered, golden
foliage Callunas and, so far, appears to be very impressive. The
foliage, in spring and summer, is somewhat lighter than that of
C.v. ‘Beoly Gold’. The habit is erect. It was raised by J. W.
Sparkes before 1977.

‘Hilbrook Orange’ Aug. - Sept.
30 cm. An orange-red foliage plant with mauve (H2) flowers, and
is more compact than C.v. ‘Robert Chapman’. It arose as a
seedling in 1977 in Mr. and Mrs. Brooks’ Little Park Nursery,
Suffolk.

‘Marion Blum’ Aug. - Sept.
45 cm. This vigorous cultivar has white flowers borne over
yellow-green foliage in summer. In the winter the foliage turns
completely yellow. It is similar to C. v. ‘Christina’. It was raised
by Mr. H. J. M. Blum of Steenwijkerwold in 1974 and introduced
by P. G. Zwijnenburg of Boskoop. (Heather Society Year Book,
1979s sp: 55):

‘Pepper and Salt? Aug. - Sept.
40 cm. This plant has light purple-rose flowers. The foliage is
tipped with cream in the spring, and the habit is erect. (P. G., p.
32).

‘Rosebud’ Sept. - Oct.
This is a nice prostrate plant with pink (H8) flowers and gold
summer foliage. It was found by Mr. and Mrs. Clegg of Truro and
was introduced by Mr. Dungey of Felsberg Nurseries, Dobwalls,
Liskeard, Cornwall.

‘Winter Fire’ Aug. - Sepi.
This broad spreading plant carries its purple-rose flowers over
orange summer foliage. During the winter the foliage turn to an
intense red. It was raised by S. W. Bond, now of Hartpury,
Gloucestershire in 1970. (P. G., p. 32).

Daboecia cantabrica
‘Barbara Phillips’ June - Nov.
This very floriferous plant has amethyst (H1) flowers, which it
carries over dark green foliage. It arose as a seedling in Peter
Davis’s Nursery and was named by him in 1976 after the wife of
Brigadier C. E. Lucas Phillips. (P. G., p. 33, Heather Society
Year Book, 1979, p. 57).

Erica carnea
‘Winter Gold’ Feb. - April
As the name suggests, this is a foliage plant. The gold foliage is
somewhat brighter than that of E.c. ‘Altadena’. The flowers are
pink (H8) and it has a spreading habit. It arose as a seedling in
Parsons Nursery at Woolhampton, Berkshire.

YEAR BOOK 1981

‘Winter Melody’
Mr. Parson also raised this plant. It has pink flowers, mid-green
foliage and a vigorous spreading habit.

Erica cinerea

‘Blossom Time’ June - Sept.
25 cm. This is a low- growing, broad, spreading plant. The flowers
are pink and appear early in the season. David McClintock has
traced this plant back to Hardwicks of Newick, Lewes, Sussex

circa 1963.
‘Little Anne’ June - Oct.
This plant has a low, close habit and is very slow growing. The
bright purple (H10) flowers literally cover the plant over a long
season. It was found by Mrs. Eileen Porter prior to 1975 and was
named after her grand-daughter. It was introduced by Mr. P. J.
Foley of Holden Clough Nursery, Lancs.
‘Next Best? Aug. - Sept.
40 cm. This arose as a sport on E.c. ‘C. G. Best’ in David
McClintock’s garden in 1971. It has rose pink (H7) flowers. It
is a curious plant with red tips to the new growth. Some stems are
half yellow and half green, while others appear smokey. (The
Garden, May 1980, p. 195).
Erica vagans
‘Valerie Smith’ Aug. - Oct.
The large white flowers of this plant are freely borne over dark
green foliage. It has a compact habit. It has been known since
1970. (P. G., p. 36, Heather Society Year Book, 1979, p. 57).

Personal and Place Names Used for
Hardy Heathers: Second Supplement
David McClintock, Platt Kent.

It has been suggested that we should have a
supplement to these lists every two years, hence this
short one. I like also to think that it reflects the welcome
fact that fewer new heathers are being dowered with
names without proper compariscn and testing. But at
least one of those below should never have been given a
name at all, and is now hopefully, dead.

The five starred names have been duly registered.
It is much to be regretted that none of the others have
been, so far.

It has still proved impossible to get the promised
comments from South Africa on the draft lists of their
heaths, which total some 260 personal and 60
geographic names.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

PERSONAL NAMES

Anne Dobbin (Calluna) Grand-daughter of Eileen Porter, pre
1975

Little Anne (cinerea) Same person as Anne Dobbin, again pre
1975

Anna (Calluna) Mother of K. Kramer of Suddorf, Germany

Annemarie (Calluna) Nobody in particular

bianonis (multiflora) F. Bianon

Karin Blum (Calluna) Second daughter of H. J. M. Blum of
Steenwijkerwold, Holland.

bocquetii (Erica (Pentapera) ) Prof. Gilbert Bocquet of Geneva.

Olive Cowan (Calluna) Mrs. Cowan of Petherton, Temple
Close, Moor Park, Farnham, Surrey.

J C. Fletcher (vagans) Heather foreman from R. V. Rogers at
Pickering, Yorks.

Michael Fletcher (Calluna) Son of J. C. Fletcher

Lionel Fortescue (/usitanica) Ex Eton Master, of Buckland
Monachorum, Devon.

Louise Fortescue (/usitanica) Error for the last name.

Harry Gibbons (Calluna) On staff of R. V. Rogers of Pickering.

Kees Gouda (Ca/iuna) of Utrecht, finder in Spain

Hilletje (carnea) Wife of finder, Verwerj of Boskoop.

Emerald Jock (Calluna) K16. Jock Nimlin, gem collector and
field officer on St. Kilda.

kruessmaniana (cinerea) G. Kriissmann (1910 - 1980)

Mirelle (Calluna) Eldest daughter of J. Westdijk of Boskoop.

Audrey Morris (carnea) Employee at Simpson’s Nursery,
Knutstord.

*David Platt (Calluna) Son of J. Platt of Ulnes Walton, Lancs.
*Ruth’s Gold (Tetralix) Wife of J. Platt.
Sonja (Calluna) Daughter of Herr Westendorf.
Victoria (Calluna) (At Edrom Nurseries long before 1979).

PLACE NAMES

* Cottswood Gold (Calluna) Name of the Turpins’ house at West
Clandon, Surrey.
Eshaness (Calluna) Parish in Shetland.
*Godrevy (cinerea) Godrevy Towans, Cornwall.
Hilbrook Orange (Ca//luna). Invented name. Little Park Nursery, Park
Hill near by.
Holehird (australis) Lakeland Horticultural Society’s garden
outside Windermere.
Laphroig (Calluna) Islay, Scotland.
Luneburg Heath (Calluna) N. Germany.
Tybesta Gold (carnea) Parish in Cornwall
*Westwood Yellow (carnea) Westwood Road, Windlesham,
Surrey, where Foxhollow Nursery was.
Wittmoor (Calluna) Place on outskirts of Hamburg.
AMELIORATION
Delete Foxhollow (Calluna) 1974.

YEAR BOOK 1981

‘Au revoir’ in ‘“‘Down Under”’
Mrs. Anne Parris, Usk, Gwent

Or should I say “ Auf Wiedersehen”’ as our Society
becomes more and more international.

Whether or not, at my age, I succeed in making a
new heather garden on another bank below the house I
plan to build in a corner of my son’s grassland in
Australia, I do not know. Nearby there is a small spinney
of Eucalyptus. and tree fern. I visualise too, clumps of
white barked birch and red barked Eucalyptus; a pipe
dream perhaps. At least I learn that some heaths and
heathers are obtainable. If I don’t like them, maybe I can
now “‘induce’’ some more!

As in the U.S.A., the Australians use. a
precautionary sterilant which is largely lethal to
introduced plants and cuttings; even if they survive the
freezing conditions inside airline luggage compartments.

The Australians are right of course to be cautious.
Many plant ‘rabbits’? were introduced before they
realised; like docks and brambles, and the picturesque
relation of Vipers Bugloss, known respectively as
“Salvation Jane’ or “‘Paterson’s Curse’, depending on
whether it is fodder in times of drought, or a wretched
weed of arable land. The Latin name of this plant is
Echium plantagineum (lycopsis).

Before I finally take my leave I must tell you of an
odd coincidence. In the last century my maternal
grandfather was President of the Schleswig Holstein
“Heide Kultur Verein’, not as you might expect to
encourage the growing of heathers, but for the
reclamation for farming of vast areas, at that time, of
sandy heathland.

So goodbye everybody, till next time ! I shall sadly
miss all the friends I have made through the Heather
Society.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Recent Writings on Heathers, 1980

Anon., Hardiness of Erica and Calluna, Gardeners Chronicle, 1980, Vol.187,
No.13. p13
A belated summary of Sakai and Miwa’s paper.

Anon., Farbiger Schluss-akkord mit Erica an der Grun 80, Gartnermeister,
1980, Vol 43, pp 1162 - 4
8,000 heathers shown, numerous medals given them at this great Swiss show,
all but five for FE. gracilis.

Anon., I Nemici delle Plante - Erica (e Calluna), Il Giardino Fiorito, Vol
XXVI, No.10, p 599
‘*“Non sono delicate le Eriche”’ - but nine “enemies” are discussed.

Amos, G., Millionaire’s Garden, Garden News, 1980, May 3rd, p 39
Heathers a feature of John Gennard’s garden in Leics.

Ballaster, A., Vieitaz, A. M. and Vieitaz, E., The allelopathic potential of Erica
australis L. and E. arborea L., Botanical Gazette, Vol 140, No.4, pp 433 - 6.
Aquaeous extracts of aerial parts contained toxins which inhibited
significantly the growth of Red Clover, but germination was not affected.

Birse, E. L., Andromeda polifolia L. on Mount Keen, Transactions of the
Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 1980, Vol 43, No.3, pp 245 - 6
Insignificant plants at 2,420 ft, taken at first for Cranberries, in its most
northerly, and highest ?, station in Britain.

Bloom, Adrian, The Virtues of Winter Flowering Heaths, Popular Gardening,
1980, Nov. kSth, pp 14 - 5
A sound outline.

Bloom, Adrian, Heathers, acut above the rest, Practical Gardening, 1980, Dec.,
pp 12-5
Preparation and soil testing.

Carter, K., ‘Egdon Heath’ on show, Newsletter of the Thomas Hardy Society,
1979, winter
Appreciation of his visit to the Weymouth Conference and seeing Erica
ciliaris “Egdon Heath’.

Chung, S. G., Ahn, B. Z., and Pachly, P., Constituents of Andromeda polifolia,
Planta Medica, 1980, Vol 38, No.3, pp-269 - 70
Chemical details.

Cooper, K. M., Mycorrhiza, their influence on past, present and future, Annual
Journal of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, 1979, No.7, pp
113 - 26
At higher levels of soil - available phosphate, plants are often able to grow
equally well with or without mycorrhiza.

Cox, D., Hunt for hidden gems, Garden News, 1980, Oct. 4th, p 15
The value of saving all seedlings to see how they turn out.

Davidson, M., The easy way to beat winter gloom, Sunday Express, 30th Dec.
1979
“There can hardly be a garden anywhere that could not be improved
considerably by . . . . heathers”’.

Dittrich, W., Einen Heidegarten einmal anders gesta!len, Gartenpraxis, 3/80, pp
102 - 6
An excellent account of the Steppenheide or Felsenheide, garrigue, with
plants for calcareous soils, the only heather included being E. carnea.

Evans, A., The bonny Scottish heather, The Countryman, 1980, Summer,
pp. 71-6
Introductory notes by the Assistant Curator of the Edinburgh Botanic
Garden.

YEAR BOOK 1981

Gimingham, C. H., Chapman, S. B. and Webb, A. N., European Heathland , in
Heathlands and related Shrublands, ed. R. L. Specht, Elsevier, 1979, pp
365 - 413
A descriptive study.

Heimann, M., Phytophthora oder Cylindrocladium ? Das ist oft die Frage bei
Eriken, Gartenborse - Gartenwelt, Vol 80, No.2, pp 31 - 6
The most important symptoms of each and how to treat them.

Jasnowska, J. and Jasnowski, M., Erica tetralix L. in Pomerania Fragmenta
Floristica et Geobotanica, 1979, Vol XXV, No.2, pp 269 - 79
350 stations known, 299 of them found recently by the authors. R. Vistula is
its E. boundary.

J(ohns), L., Lucky Heaths, Popular Gardening, 1980, Jan. 26th, p 31
Care of Erica gracilis, E. x hyemalis and E. nivalis indoors.

Kummert, F., Kap-Heiden im Reservegarten des Belvederes in Wien,
Gartenpraxis, Vol 80, No.4, pp 150, 152 - 4
A useful, well illustrated account, of propagation too, with a good historical
introduction, of the ‘““comprehensive”’ collection at Vienna.

Lupsa, V., (Distribution of Andromeda polifolia in the Romanian Carpathians).
Contributii Botanici Cluj - napoca, 1979, pp 61 - 4
The ecology too, and a map.

(McCausland, J.), Heathers as billows, Sunset, 1980, Aug., pp 156 - 7
A good introduction.

McClintock, David, A Day in my Heather Garden, The Garden, 1980, Vol 105.
No.5, pp 191 - 5
Based on a lecture given by one of our Vice-Presidents to the R.H.S. in August
1979:

McClintock, D., The typification of Evica ciliaris L., of E. tetralix and of their
hybrid E. x watsonii Bentham, Bot. J. Linn. Soc., 1980, Vol80, pp 207 - 11.
The type of E. ciliaris is eglandular, those of E. tetralix and E. x watsonti
glandular.

McClintock, D., Bell Heathers with split corollas, The Plantsman, 1980, Vol 2,
No.4, pp 183 - 92
The record of all known occurrences, with the publication of var.
kruessmaniana and its subvar. depauperata.

Mansanet, J. J., Alcober, H., Boira, J. B. and Curras, R., (Contributions to the
ecological study of Erica erigena R. Ross in the Valencia region, Anales
Jardino Botanico Madrid, Vol 32, No.1, pp 117 - 23
Includes a scaleless map of localities for this species in the area.

Nicholson, B., Your Garden. Vancouver Sun, circa July 1980
Bob Brien’s St. Kilda heathers.

Rice, E. L., Allelopathy - an update, Botanical Review, 1979, Vol 45, No.1, pp
15 - 109
A very wide survey with 20 pages of references includes heathers.

Small, J. G. C. and Garner, C. F., Giberellin and stratification required for the
germination of Erica junoniana, an endangered species, Zeitschrift fur
Phytophysiologie, 1980, Vol 99, No.2, pp 179 - 182
Giberillic acid promoted germination only when combined with stratification
at 5° C. Other treatments proved inadequate.

_ Smith, G., Mr. Smith’s Diary, Sunday, Garden News, 1980, May 3rd, p 7
Erica terminalis has made good colonies on lime at Perceval Hall.

Stiperaere, H., Les dernteres stations d’Erica cinerea dans la region au sud de
Bruges, Bulletin de la Société Royale de Relgique, Vol 102, pp 221 - 7
Bell heather disappeared in at least fifteen 1 km squares, now mainly on
roadsides.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

Stoffert, G. and Rohlfing, HR, Das kistenlose Transport von T6pfe,
Garteborse+e Gartenwelt, Vol 80, No.44, pp 987 - 90
How to save the cost of trays and crates. :

Street, J., A lucky chance Heath, Garden News, 1980, March Ist
Gen. Turpin’s competition plants of “White Glow’ and ‘Rubinteppich’.

Street, J., Majoring in heaths, Garden News, 1980, Aug. 16th, p 27
Report on the Society’s display of propagation prepared by Gen. Turpin, with
a photo of him.

Stribley, D. P. and Read, D. J., The biology of mycorrhiza in the Ericaceae.
VII. The relationship between infection and the capacity to utilize simple and
complex organic nitrogen sources, New Phytol., 1980, Vol 85
See pages 31 and 32.

Venison, T., Heathers without guarantee, Country Life, 1980, June 19th
A few words on tree heaths, including FE. erigena.

Vodiokova, V., Erica carnea L. Vresovec masocy/oel Ericaceae - vresovcorite,
Skalnicky, 1979, Vol 4, (inset sheet)

Brief account of the species with drawings.

Whitsey, F., Look out for heathers, Daily Telegraph, 1980, Aug. 2nd
‘| award the highest marks to the Bell Heathers, just now at their colourful
best,’ Daboecia too.

In addition, there have been excellent articles in our contemporaries
Ericultura, Der Heidegarten and Heather News.

NURSERYMEN MEMBERS
Explanation of symbols:
* Further details in our advertisement pages which follow this
list. We are most grateful for the support of these members who
help to make this publication possible.

All members cater for the retail trade except those marked
(W) who are strictly wholesale. Members who cater for both
wholesale and retail trade are marked (W/R). Both of these
groups would welcorie enquiries from other traders needing
supplies.

ZONE 1, Scotland
R. J. BRIEN, Pitcairngreen Heather Farm, Perth.
W/R_ W. A. CADMAN, Woodside, Blackpark, Inverness IV3 6PW

* JACK DRAKE, Inshriach Alpine Nursery, Aviemore, Inverness
PH23 1QS

* D. A. LAMBIE, Speyside Heather Centre, Dulnain Bridge, Skye of
Curr, Inverness-shire PH26 3PA

* D.McARTHUR, Sutherland Soil Services, P. O. Box 3, Dornoch
IV25 1JG
D. MOIR, c/o Inverliever Nursery, Ford, by Lochgilphead, Argyll
es Jean PATTULLO, Blairhoyle, Port of Menteith, Stirling FK8
paw REAY, Rob Roy Nursery, Trossachs Road, Aberfoyle, FK8

* G. and J. STURROCK, Angus Heathers, 10 Guthrie Street,
Letham, Forfar, Angus DD8 2PS

* D. W. WILLIAMSON, T. W. Christie (Forres) Ltd., The
Nurseries, Forres, Moray IV26 QEA

YEAR BOOK 1981

ZONE 2, Ireland
N. C. GRAHAM, Straid Nurseries, Gracehill, Ballymena, N. I.

(W/R) MissMARGARET HEARN, Heather Hill, Coolballow, Wexford,
Eire.

(W/R) Mr. and Mrs. DERMOT KERRINS, Fernhurst Garden Nursery,
Kenmare, Co. Derry, Eire.

ZONE 3, NORTH EAST

(W/R) J. M. and W. KANE, Glendale Nurseries, Haugh Head, Wooler,
Northumberland
J. D. and S. M. LISHMAN, Heighley Gate Nursery and Garden
Centre. Morpeth, Northumberland

ZONE 4, NORTH WEST
H. BARNES, 97 Blackpool Road, Great Varleton, Foulton-le-
Fylde, Blackpool
(W) CLIVE BENSON, The Nurseries, 281 Croston Road, Farington,
Preston, Lancs.
Mr. and Mrs. R. S. BURDIS, Hollins Farm Nursery, Knights
Lane, Hollins Hill, Nr. Tarporley, Cheshire.
PJ. FOLEY, Holden Clough Nursery, Holden, Boiton-by- Bowland,
Lancs.
T. C McGAWLEY & SONS, 12 The Green, Kirksanton, Millom,
LAIL8 4NZ.
*(W) Mr. and Mrs. P. NEWSHAM, Twin Acre Nursery, Hulme Hall
Lane, Allestock, Knutsford, WA16 9JN.
(W/R) G. YATES, Tabramhill Gardens, Ash Landing, Far Sawrey,
Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 (RL.

ZONE 5, YORKSHIRE

(W/R) Mr. and Mrs. L. E. BELL, Graizelound Nursery and Water Garden,
Akeferry Road, Graizelound, Haxey, Doncaster DN9 2NF.

(W/R) D. WARD, Ward’s Nurseries, Eckington, Coal Aston, Sheffield
S18 6BA.

ZONE 6, EAST MIDLANDS
(W/R) P. W. BINGHAM, Kingfisher Nursery, Gedney Hill, Spalding
PE12 OPP
(W) CRAIL NURSERIES LTD., Newstead Abbey Park, Linby,
Notts. NG1I5 8DG.
* LEIGHTON and ELIZABETH JONES, Linden Lodge,
Broughton Asiley, Leicester.
* A. GERVASE SMITH and SONS, Hackney Road, Darley Dale,
Maitlock, Derbys.
*(W) J. P. SWAIN, Thatched Cottage, Main Street, Burton Overy,
Leicester.
*(W/R) H.J. TOMLINSON, Greenwood Gardens, Ollerton Road, Arnoid,
Nottingham NGS 8PR

ZONE 7, WEST MIDLANDS
* Mrs. P. BENSON, Ridgway Wood Heather Nursery, tivrderley,
Craven Arms, Salop.

THE HEATHER SOCIELTY

* G,. J. COOKES, Little Froome Heather Nurseries, 2 Drayton Lane,
Fenny Drayton, Nuneaton, Warks.
*(W) D. and M. EVERETT, Greenacres Nursery, Crossway Green,
Stourport on Severn, Worcs. DY13 9SH
H. H. LEWIS, Morton Nurseries, Bicton, Shrewsbury, Salop.
(W/R) G. OSMOND, Archficld Nursery, Wickwar, Wooton under Edge,
Glos.
*(W/R) IAN PACEY, Martinvale Nurseries, Caverswall Common, Stoke
on Trent ST11 9EU
(W) J. W. SPARKES, Beechwood Nurseries, Gorcott Hill, Redditch,
Worcs.
T. G. VEITCH, Notcutts Garden Centre, Stratford Road,
Monkspath, Shirley, Solihull, W. Mids.
* Ro WARNER, Barnscroft Nurseries, Dunwood Lane, Longsdon,
Stoke on Trent ST9 9QW

ZONE 8, WALES
Mrs. M. PRYKE, Four Acres Nursery, Cosheston, Pembroke
Dock SA72 4SC
C. PUDDLE, Bodnant Gardens, Tal y cafn, Colwyn Bay, Clwyd.

ZONE 9, EASTERN
*(W/R) ADRIAN BLOOM, Blooms Nurseries, Bressingham, Diss,
Norfolk IP22 2AB.
* Mr. and Mrs. R. A. BROOKS, Little Park Nursery, Flowton,
Ipswich IP8 4LN
M. A. CLARE, Cross Keys Nurseries, Walpole Cross Keys, Kings
Lynn, Norfolk PE34 4HB.

(W) Mr. A. W. COZENS, Old Presbytery, Oxborough, King’s Lynn,
Norfolk.
* DENBEIGH HEATHER NURSERIES, The Poplars, All Saints
Road, Creeting St.Mary, Ipswich IP6 8PJ.
* M. G. FRYE, The Willows, Poors Lane (North), Daws Heath,
Thundersley, Esssex SS7 2XF
(W) J. H. GILL, Stour Gardens, East Bergholt, Colchester CO7 6TF
Mrs. B. HIPPERSON, Norwich Heather and Conifer Centre, 54A
Yarmouth Road, Thorpe, Norwich.

ZONE 10, NORTH THAMES
(W) MILTON HUTCHINGS LTD., Pield Heath Nurseries,
Hillingdon, Uxbridge, Middx.
D. WATKINS, Green Room Designs, 44 Blacksmiths Way,
Hartwell, Northants.

ZONE 11, SOUTHERN
(W) J. VAN DER BORGH, Toxward Nursery, Magpie Lane,
Horsham, Sussex RH13 6QE
* Hz. J. COLE, Furzey Gardens, Minstead, Lyndhurst, Hants.
P G. DAVIS, Timber Tops, Marley Common, Haslemere, Surrey.
HARDWICKS NURSERIES, Acerlands, Newick, Lewes,
Sussex.
HARTLEY HEATHER FARM, Hartley, Cranbrook, Kent.
HYDON NURSERIES LTD.. Hydon Heath, Godalming, Surrey
M. E. JUDE, Cotswold, Salisbury Road, Abbotts Ann, Andover,
Hants.
J. NETTLETON, Nettleton’s Nursery, Ivy Mill Lane, Godstone,
Surrey TN31 6QL

YEAR BOOK 1981

Mr. and Mrs. D. K,. PRICE, Orchardleigh, Botley Road, Bishops
Waltham, Southampton SO3 1DR

(W) WINDLESHAM COURTNURSERIESLTD., ‘London Road,
Windlesham, Surrey.

ZONE 12, SOUTH WEST
(W/R) Mr. and Mrs. D. B. CHALK, Polden Acres Gardens, Edington,
Bridgwater, TA7 9HA.
(W) Mr. and Mrs. D. EDGE, Forest Edge Nurseries, Verwood Road,
Woodlands, Wimborne, Dorset.
* — Mrs. Barbara ELLIS, West Kington Nurseries, Pound Hill House,
West Kington, Chippenham, Wilts.
*(W/R) Mrs. Diane JONES, Otters’ Court Heathers, West Camel,
Somerset BA22 7QF.
(W) R.KOERPER, Battle House Gardens, Bromham, Chippenham,
Wilts.
D. B. LOWNDES, MacPennies Nurseries, Bransgore,
Christchurch, Dorset.
ZONE 13, FARTHER WEST
J. N. ANDERSON, Broadhurst Nursery, Grampound, Truro,
Cornwall.
* CC. BELL, Harepie, Harepie Cross, Tawstock, Barnstaple, N.
Devon.
I. H. J. DUNGEY, Felsberg Nurseries, Dobwalls, Liskeard,
Cornwall. PL14 6JT
R. J. C. MERRIFIELD, Ebford Nurseries Ltd., nr. Topsham,
Exeter.
Mrs. J. RANDALL, Lyalls Cottage, Dunchideock, Exeter, Devon.

ZONE 14, OVERSEAS

(W) Mr. & Mrs. M. C. HART, 275 232nd Street, Langley, B.C.,
Canada V3A 6H5

(W) P. G. ZWINJNENBURG, Rynveld 35, Boskoop, Holland.
Mrs. Robert M. KNIGHT, Heather Acres Inc., 62 Elma-Monte
Road, Elma, Washington 98541, U.S.A.
MANNINGS HEATHER FARM, 12450 Fiori Lane, Sebastopol,
California 95472, U.S.A.

LOCAL ORGANISERS

ZONE 1: (WEST OF) SCOTLAND

Mr. M. Bremner, Coruisk, Dennistoun Road, Langbank, Port Glasgow PA14
6XH

ZONE 2, NORTHERN IRELAND

Mrs. E. B. Calvert, Mimosa, 10 Manse Road, Newtownards, Co. Down.

ZONE 3, NORTH EAST
Mrs. aaa 40 Western Way, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne NE20
9A

ZONE 5, YORKSHIRE
Mr. G. P. Vickers, 139 Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield 531 7RY

ZONES 6 & 7, EAST and WEST MIDLANDS
Mr. A. Dudley, The Spinney, Little Hay, Lichfield, Staffs. WS14 0QD

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

ZONE 10, NORTH THAMES
Mr. A. J. Stow, 15 Highlands, Flackwell Heath, Bucks. HP10 9PP

ZONE 11, SOUTHERN
Mrs. P. B. Lee, Birches, Kingswood Firs, Greyshott, Hindhead, Surrey
GU26 6£X

ZONE 12, SOUTH WEST
Mr. P. L. Joyner, 84 Kinross Road, Rushington, Totton, Southampton

ZONE 13, FARTHER WEST
Mrs. J. Randall, Lyalls Cottage, Dunchideock, Nr. Exeter, Devon.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

EVENTS

Mrs. M. Bowerman, Champs Hill, Coldwaltham, Pulborough, Sessex
(Chairman).

Mrs. M. Boxall, Gilridge, Sandy Lane, Kingswood, Surrey

Mrs. P. B. Lee, Birches, Kingswood Firs, Greyshott, Hindhead, Surrey
GU26 6EX

Mr. H. Street, 2 The Green, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6DL

Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin, Cottswood, West Clandon, Guildford, Surrey
GU4 7UW

FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES

Mr. D. B. Oliver, 27 Valentine Road, Leicester (Chairman)
Mr. A. H. Bowerman ~

Mrs. P. B. Lee

Mr. H. Street

Maj.-Gen. P. G. Turpin

Mr. E. H. Wiseman, 22 Heathside, Esher, Surrey.

PUBLICATIONS

Mr. A. J. Stow, 15 Highlands, Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire HP10 9PP
(Chairman)

Mr. A. W., Jones, Otters’ Court, West Camel, Somerset BA22 7QF

Mrs. D. H. Jones

Mrs. P. B. Lee

Mr. D. B. Oliver

TECHNICAL

Mr. T. A. Julian, Lee Wood, Reservoir Road, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire
(Chairman)

Mr. D. Chalk, Polden Acres, Edington, Bridgwater, Somerset.

Mr. A. W. Jones

Mr. H. L. Nicholson, Farm Cottage, Westcott Road, Dorking, Surrrey

Mr. D. J. Small, The Poplars, All Saints Road, Creeting St. Mary, Ipswich,
Suffolk IP6 8PJ

Mr. G. P. Vickers, 139 Swinston Hill Road, Dinnington, Sheffield. 531 7RY.

YEAR BOOK 1981

VISIT
Speyside Heather/Garden Centre

SKYE OF CURR DULNAIN BRIDGE
(Between Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey)
Inverness-shire PH26 3PA

Tel. (047 985) 359

Proprietors:
D, A. Lambie (Dip. Hort, R.H.S. Wisley), E. Lambie

HEATHS AND HEATHERS
GROWN IN THE HEART OF THE CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS

SH reey Gardens

WILL SELWOOD ART AND CRAFT GALLERY
AND ANCIENT COTTAGE 1560 A.D.
MINSTEAD, near LYNDHURST. Tel. Cadnam 2464

Displaying HAND-MADE CRAFTS
of a high standard by 100 local
craftsmen and 50 artists. Eight
acres of peaceful glades of
botanical interest throughout
the year. Including large areas of
many varieties of Heathers.

Open DAILY 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
(Dusk in Winter)

Adult 7p, Child 40p, (Mar.-Oct)
Adult 35p, Child 20p, (Nov.-Feb) .’

10% reduction for parties of 30 - - by prior arrangement

(Proceeds to maintenance and various
charities)

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

NEXT YEAR

about a thousand households could be
reading about your nursery, or business, in
this space!

Write NOW for the very reasonable special
rates for members to:-
The Treasurer,
27 Valentine Road, Leicester.

LES 2GH

YEAR BOOK 198]

Clifford Bell

| HAREPIE
HAREPIE CROSS

| TAWSTOCK
Nr. BARNSTAPLE

NORTH DEVON

HEATHER & HEATIES
SPECIALIST

WE GROW 386 VARIETIES
ALL IN CONTAINERS FOR
PLANTING ANYTIME

VISITORS WELCOME
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

——-—
_—————

Phone:

NEWTON TRACEY
298 (027 185)

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

D & M EVERETT

Greenacres Nursery, Crossway Green,
Stourport on Severn, Worcs.

Specialists in Heathers and
Dwarf Conifers

Heather Society Members especially welcome, but
please telephone Hartlebury 745 in advance, to
ensure that someone will be available
to talk to you.

Alpines, Rock plants and Heathers

JACK DRAKE
INSHRIACH ALPINE PLANT NURSERY
AVIEMORE PH22 1QS
INVERNESS-SHIRE uo
Catalogues 40p.

TWIN ACRE NURSERY

HULME HALL LANE, ALLOSTOCK
KNUTSFORD, CHESHIRE

Good Quality Heathers in
3%”’ Poly Pots, all labelled.

Good selection of Dwarf Conifers, Rhodos,
Azaleas and Shrubs.

Wholesale Only. Tel: Lower Peover 2013

YEAR BOOK 1981

BARNCROFT NURSERIES,

Somehow, almost unbelievably, 5 years
have passed since, during the drought of 1976,
we started to develop this site at an altitude of
700 ft. in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

All the available space has finally been
planted in our main display garden which now
accommodates about 480 cultivars of heathers
together, of course, with many varieties of
conifers and shrubs. Throughout the gardens
we are currently growing about 260 varieties of
conifers.

Our next project will be to develop a
further section in order to be able to plant the
ever increasing number of varieties which we
wish to grow and compare. At present there are
an additional 170 cultivars of heathers and
about 60 conifer cultivars awaiting planting.
Retail opening hours:-

The gardens and nursery are open throughout the year on

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from
9 a.m. until dusk.

Dunwood Lane, Longsdon, Stoke-on-Trent.
(Off A 53, 3 miles west of Leek) Phone Lees (0538) 384310.
SORRY, NO POSTAL TRADE

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

**Heatherscaping”’

Heather and Conifer
Nursery

Our heather and conifer display beds are now well
established in our garden setting.

Visitors are welcome at week-ends from March to
May and August to November, or by appointment.

We offer for sale to callers 60 different dwarf and
ornamental conifers, and 80 heather cultivars.

Specialist advice

Planning service

Quantity discounts

Top quality stock
Enthusiastic conversation!

Kee

**Heatherscaping”’
(Leighton & Elizabeth Jones)
109A Station Road
Broughton Astley
Leicestershire.
Telephone
Sutton Elms (0455)
282505

YEAR BOOK 1981

Ward's Nurseries & |
Garden Centre

Eeckington Fioad, Coal Aston
Sheffield SIé GBA.
Tel: Dronfield (0246) 412622

We are situated on the B6056
Eckington - Dronfield Road 7 miles
from Junction 30 M 1.

We are wholesale growers of Heathers
producing a quarter of a million annually
which are distributed throughout |
Britain.
A thousand of our heathers can now be |
seen planted as part of the British Garden
which won 3rd Prize at the International
-Floralies in Montreal Canada 1980.

Our Garden Centre is open every day with well
stocked heather benches and allied plants, also a
full range of Trees, Shrubs, Conifers etc.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

BRESSINGHAM GARDENS

| 1981 - 82 Colour Plant Catalogue

Essential for all gardeners interested in
HEATHERS, offering over 80 _ varieties
including Calluna vulgaris ‘My Dream’, a
spectacular white sport of Calluna vulgaris ‘H.
E. Beale’, introduced in 1979 and a NEW Ling
with deep carmine pink flower spikes, Calluna
vulgaris “Shurig’s Sensation’ introduced for the
first time this year.

Plus over 200 varieties of DWARF
CONIFERS, many quite rare, 1350 varieties of
PERENNIAL and ALPINE plants and an ever
increasing range of SHRUBS, GRASSES,
FERNS, BAMBOOS, etc.

All plants are of renowned quality and will be
skilfully packed to arrive nursery fresh.

OPEN WEEKEND 1981

Saturday Sth and Sunday 6th September are this
years dates for our famous Gardeners’ Open
Weekend when in addition to Alan Bloom’s Dell
Garden, Adrian Bloom’s 5-acre Heather and
Conifer Garden will be open to the public.

Also, two plant centres selling a wide range of
plants, in particular a large selection of
HEATHERS and CONIFERS.

For our 1981 - 82 full colour mail order plant
catalogue, please send 50p (U.K.only) to:
Dept. HS, BRESSINGHAM GARDENS,
Diss, Norfolk IP22 2AB

YEAR BOOK 1981

RIDGWAY WOOD HEATHER
NURSERY
HORDERLEY
Nr. Craven Arms (off A 489)
Shropshire.

High quality container grown Heathers
propagated from plants in the display garden.

Collection only. Closed Sundays.

Heather Society Members particularly welcome
but please telephone if possible

Mrs. BENSON, LYDBURY NORTH 278.

WHOLESALE GROWER OF HEATHERS

JULIAN P. SWAIN

Visits by Heather Society Members
welcomed - a telephone call in
advance would be appreciated

MAIN STREET BURTON OVERY LEICESTER LE8 ODL
GREAT GLEN (053 759) 3242

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

**Little Froome’’
Heather Nurseries

Specialise in
CONTAINER GROWN HEATHERS
AND ROOTED CUTTINGS

Collection only - but please phone first

Beautifully Landscaped Gardens for you
to enjoy whilst making your choice.

2, DRAYTON LANE
FENNY DRAYTON
NUNEATON . WARWICKS.
Tel: Atherstone 3382

GREENWOOD GARDENS

OLLERTON ROAD, NEAR ARNOLD
NOTTINGHAM NGS 8PR
Telephone - Nottingham 205757

(On the A614 5 miles north of Nottingham. | mile north of
junction with A60)

Open 6 days a week (excluding Tuesdays) 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Heathers, Herbaceous Plants, Trees, and Shrubs.
We also specialise in Bonsai, Retail/Wholesale.

YEAR BOOK 1981

WEST KINGTON NURSERIES
A GOOD SELECTION OF
CONTAINER GROWN
HEATHERS and ALPINES

Visitors Welcomed

Phone Castle Combe 782 822 for an
appointment please !

Send for catalogue to:-
West Kington Nurseries, Pound Hill,

West Kington, Nr. Chippenham, Wilts.

M. G. FRYE HEATHERS
The Willows, Poors Lane North, Daws Heath,
Thundersley, Essex SS7 2XF |

CATALOGUE FREE (Send Stamp)

NURSERY OPEN DAILY 8 a.m. - Dusk
Except Wednesdays
Telephone: SOUTHEND (0702) 558467

Sutherland Soil Services

offer Heather Society members Laboratory
soil analysis for pH, lime requirement and/or
fertiliser status at reasonable rates. Send stamp for
further information and sampling instructions to:
Sutherland Soil Services. Dept. Hi..
P. 0. Box 3. Dornoch, Sutherland.
IV25 IG.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

The Scottish Rock Garden Club

If you are interested in beautiful heathers, you may also
be interested in rock gardens. Learnall about the natural
companions for heathers by joining the Scottish Rock
Garden Club. Ordinary membership £5 per annum.
Family membership - each additional member £1.00.
Junior membership (under 18) £1 per annum.
Particulars from: D. J. Donald, Morea, Main Rd,
Balbeggie, Perth. PH2 6EZ.

one thousand three hundred keen gardeners
YES ! ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED
KEEN GARDENERS NOW
(and more joining all the time)
COULD HAVE SEEN THE NAME OF YOUR
NURSERY HERE
WRITE TO: The Treasurer, 27 Valentine Road, Leicester
LES 2GH for details of special rates for members - NOW !

HORMCULTURAL

BENEFITS @ Faster seed germination and plant growth
@ Better root systems and easier transplantation ® Improved
soil drainage and aeration ® Holds moisture and plant food near
to roots @ Insulates - minimises soil temperature fluctuations

oe oe ee ee ee ee
TRIAL ORDER FORM - 25 litresack Pleasesendme (One at £3.95)
g (Two for £6.45) incl packing, carriage and V.A.T.(U.K. Mainland only)

B NAME
& ADDRESS

|
|
EY
| enclosed. | |
SENO NOW FOR A TRIAL SACK TO... .
B Y Silvaperl “Droducte a td. 8
P.O. Box 8, Dept. 11, HARROGATE, North Yorkshire HG2 8JW
Bee ww ee ee ee ee ee ee BV) UNTIL 31/8/81

Cheque/P.O. No. for £

YEAR BOOK 1981

T. & W. CHRISTIE (Forres) LTD.,
The Nurseries, Forres, 1V36 OEA

Dear Gardening Friends - Conifers and
Heathers, Azaleas and Rhodos, Trees and
Shrubs, Hedging and Shelter, Forest Trees,
Herbaceous, Roses and Fruit, we grow the lot.

| Do send for our descriptive Catalogue (stamp
appreciated).

When in this area on business or pleasure, do give
us a call, even if it is only to say “Hello’.
Donald W. Williamson.

Managing Director.

Windiesham Court Nursery

London Road (A.30)
Windlesham, Surrey.
Ascot (0990) 21456

WHOLESALE GROWERS OF HEATHERS

Visits by Heather Society Groups
welcome but by appointment please.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

ANGUS HEATHERS

10 GUTHRIE STREET
LETHAM, FORFAR
ANGUS DD8 2PS

WE ARE HEATHER ENTHUSIASTS

If you are ever in this area we would be delighted
to talk heathers all day.

Come and look round our nursery which is always
open for inspection.

GEORGE AND JOYCE STUKROCK
Tel: Letham (Angus) 504

ROOTED CUTTINGS

As the cost of sending plants by post or rail soars,
you may find our rooted cutting service of value.

We can supply over 250 hardy heather cultivars,
together with a wide range of Cape heaths.

Send 25p in stamps for our catalogue.

DENBEIGH HEATHER NURSERIES

All Saints Road, Creeting St. Mary
Ipswich, Suffolk IP6 8PJ
Phone: Stonham 220.

YEAR BOOK 1981

LITTLE PARK NURSERY
Flowton, Ipswich. Suffolk.
Tel: Offton 3.34 (O47 3.3.3)

HERE YOU WILL FIND A GOOD SELECTION
OF HEATHERS AND CONIFERS, AND
SHOULD YOU NEED IT, OBTAIN SOME
USEFUL ADVICE ON CULTIVATION. IN
FACT, WE CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING
ABOUT ALL OF THE 2,000 ODD VARIETIES
OF PLANTS WE GROW. THESE INCLUDE
TREES, SHRUBS, ROCK PLANTS, HEDGING
PLANTS, ALL KINDS OF FRUIT TREES AND
BUSHES. Collection only

We are situated 7 miles west of IPSWICH betwixt
the Villages cf BRAMFORD and SOMERSHAM.

Our business hours are WED. to SUN. inc.
9.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
CLOSED MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS.

R. V. Roger Ltd.

Write for our FREE Price List
(Postage 30p).
or Fully Descriptive Catalogue
£0.50 - post-Paid

THE NURSERIES, PICKERING, NORTH
YORKSHIRE YOI8 7HG
Tel: 0751 - 72226

Heathers By Post
Heather Plants and Rooted
Cuttings.

For details send 12p stamp to:-

M. E. JUDE, Cotswold, Salisbury Rd.,
Abbotts Ann, Andover, Hants. SP11 7NX.

THE HEATHER SOCIETY

OTTERS COURT HEATHERS
West Camel, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7QF

We specialise in a wide range of lime-tolerant
heathers and conifers and welcome visitors who |
wish to see these plants established in our own

garden.
S.A.E. catalogue, or Tel: Marston Magna 850285

M. H. PACEY & SON
QUALITY HEATHERS

Martinvale Nurseries,
Caverswall Common, Caverswall

Stoke-on-Trent, ST11 9QEU.
Telephone: BLYTHE BRIDGE 3178 (07818)

Hardy Derbyshire grown Heathers, Rose and Fruit
trees, Ornamental and Flowering Shrubs, Rock
and Herbaceous plants, etc.

Catalogue and Gift Vouchers on request

Gervase Smith & Sons Ltd.

Top and Fairfield Nurseries, Hackney
Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2PW
Phone: Matlock 2425

Nurseries always open for inspection

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